


Dangan Riddle

by RickyOtaku



Series: Akuma no Riddle/Dangan Ronpa crossover [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, 悪魔のリドル | Akuma no Riddle | Riddle Story of Devil
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Despair Era (Dangan Ronpa), F/F, Gen, Post-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Sequel, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2018-12-17 13:16:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11852355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RickyOtaku/pseuds/RickyOtaku
Summary: After the terrible killing game they went through, the Class Black's survivors tried to survive into the outside world despite the overwhelming despair. It was until they encounter Future Foundation...Warning: This is a sequel for another story I wrote, Akuma no Ronpa. Be sure to go read this one first before reading Dangan Riddle.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is a sequel for my AnR/DR crossover, Akuma no Ronpa. This story has for goal to clarify what had been left unexplained in the first story, and to show what would be the fate of the survivors. I hope you'll like it!
> 
> Warning: Spoilers for almost all of the Danganronpa serie. If you intend to watch the DR animes or to play the games, you should do it before reading this story. If you don't intend to, don't worry, this story will be written in a way that will allow you to understand the DR universe.

It’s been several weeks since Ichinose Haru and Azuma Tokaku escaped from Myojo Academy after they survived the terrible killing game that happened there. It had been harsh for them to survive into this desolated world, but they somehow managed to not succumb to despair.

After they recovered from their injuries they left the hospital where they were refuge and tried to find people they knew. Their first attempt was with Tokaku’s old school, Academy 17. But the school was empty and completely wrecked. There was no sign of the students or of Tokaku’s teacher, Kaiba.

Both Haru and Tokaku didn’t have any relative. The other Class Black’s students didn’t seem to have any relative either, at least still alive. Well, there was maybe one of them who their family is still alive. This is the second place Tokaku and Haru went to search.

With their memories restored, they knew where Haruki used to live. They even visited her house once before the Tragedy. Haru and Tokaku were surprised to discover that the redhead’s siblings were still alive and living there. Well, they were more hiding and surviving, but at least they weren’t dead.

Since they had met in the past, Haruki’s siblings weren’t afraid of them. It had been hard for Haru to tell them about the death of their older sister. But they needed to know so they could grieve her. Since they seemed to be the only people alive that were related to her deceased classmates, Haru wanted to protect them. It was also her way to honor the sacrifice Haruki made for the sake of her family.

One day, when Haru and Tokaku where outside the house to go searched for new provisions, they encounter a man who seemly wanted to talk with them. Haru was willing to discuss with him, but Tokaku didn’t want to, she didn’t trust him at all. Since Haru wanted to trust the blue haired girl judgement she tried to escape from him with her, but the man didn’t let them. He suddenly attacked them with a saber and Tokaku parried with her knife. A fight began between them and Tokaku ordered to Haru to escape alone.

Reluctantly, Haru ran away and left the blue haired girl fought the man. She was worried for Tokaku, but she also had faith in her. She was sure that she wouldn’t die easily. Haru also accepted to escape because she was worry about Haruki’s siblings. If this man was after them, maybe he sent someone else to the house.

When she was about to reach the house, Haru suddenly felt a terrible pain on her belly. It was almost like she had been hit by cannonball. She realised that someone had punch her with great strength in her stomach. Haru recoiled a little and managed to remain on her feet despite the pain. It would take more than a single punch to knock her out.

“Uh, you’re sturdier than you look like, especially for someone of your size. Or it’s just despair that makes you unable to feel pain.” a manly voice said.

Haru blenched when she heard the word despair. She raised her head and discovered that a really tall and muscular man was standing in front of her, between her and the house. He had a tanned skin and short dark greenish hair. His stature was quite intimidating and he was looking at her with a threatening expression.

“D-Despair? No! That’s wrong! Har…I’m not in despair! And…it’s not nice to punch someone like that without a reason!” Haru reprimanded.

“Nice? I don’t have to be nice with the likes of you, SHSL Despair!”

“I already told you that I’ve nothing to do with despair! Now please leave me alone, I don’t want any trouble…”

“Too bad for you, I don’t intend to let you go. You’re going to come with me, even if I’ve to break all of your bones.”

Haru hesitated. This man was clearly dangerous. But she couldn’t run away and left the siblings behind, he could hurt them. If she used her ability on him maybe she could force him to leave, but she didn’t like to use it. She had made a vow to never use it selfishly, but in this case, if it was to protect Haruki’s siblings.

“Step aside and leave.” Haru said as she began to walk toward the house.

“As if! I won’t listen to a brat like you!”

Haru continued to walk and the man suddenly raised his fist, ready to punch again. She stopped and prepared herself to use her ability.

“Don’t hurt Haru nee-san!”

The man suddenly turned back. A young girl had just left the house, she was still near the door. She was the oldest of Haruki’s siblings.

“Fuyuka-chan, don’t come near! Go back inside!” Haru ordered.

“But…” the young girl tried to protest.

“Hey, who’s that kid? So you weren’t alone after all…”

The man began to walk toward the house. With panic, Haru grabbed his coat in an attempt to make him stop.

“No, leave them alone! They are only children. Please don’t hurt them! I’ll go with you, so I’m begging you, don’t…” Haru pleaded.

The man suddenly turned back and pushed her violently. This time Haru lost her balance and fell on the ground.

“I’ve no intention to beat a bunch of kids, I wasn’t asked to do anything with them anyway. You on the other hand, I was asked to bring you alive. But I don’t want you to try to escape later, so I’ll knock you out.” he said while clenching his fists.

But before he could hit her, he suddenly recoiled to dodge a knife that had been thrown at him.

“Don’t you dare touching her again!”

Haru turned back when she recognised Tokaku’s voice. The blue haired girl joined her, armed with another knife.

“The other brat…fine. I’m going to beat both of you!” the man threatened.

“No, that won’t be necessary, Sakakura.”

A man who was quite tall approached from them. He had short white hair and was wearing a white suit. He was the one with whom Tokaku was fighting earlier.

“Munakata!” the man who attacked Haru said. “Why? Aren’t they supposed to be part of the SHSL Despair…?”

“As far as I observed they don’t seem to be despair.” the white haired man replied.

The one named Munakata approached from Haru, whom Tokaku helped to get back on her feet. Immediately, the blue haired girl put herself in front of Haru in a protective way, still holding her knife.

“No need to worry. I don’t intend to fight again if you behave. I was honest when I told you I wanted to discuss with you.”

“How can we trust you!? You attacked us!” Tokaku replied with hostility.

“You were trying to run away, which is suspicious. But I’m willing to give you a second chance. Surrender and answer our questions and not harm will be done to you.”

“If you think that we’ll…” the blue haired girl began to say.

“I accept.” Haru said.

Tokaku looked at her with a confuse expression, like she was about to protest. But she said nothing. Haru knew that ultimately, the blue haired girl will always trust her judgement.

Haru looked at Munakata. He had such a cold expression, which was quite intimidating. But he didn’t seem to be malicious, and he was the first person she saw in the outside world other than Haruki’s siblings who wasn’t despairful. So maybe she’ll be able to learn more about how the world fell into despair if she accepted to follow him.

“Those children in this house, they can come with you too. Be sure that no harm will be done to them and I’ll personally make sure that they will be protected.” Munakata added.

“Protected? Why would you do that? Who are you exactly?” Tokaku asked with distrust.

“I’m Munakata Kyosuke. I’m part of Future Foundation.”

“Future…Foundation?” Haru asked.

“How can you not know who we are?!” Sakakura replied with contempt.

“Our organisation as for goal to save the world from despair. We are fighting against the SHSL Despair. This is why we want to interrogate you, Ichinose.” Munakata replied.

“How…do you know my name? And why…do you want to interrogate me?”

“Here is not the right place to talk. You have a choice. Come with us and you’ll have a fair chance to explain yourself, or refuse and you’ll be considered as our enemies.” the white haired man asked.

Haru didn’t think that she really had a choice. If she refused, Haruki’s siblings could be hurt. And if what this man said was true, he wasn’t a bad person.

“I already told you my answer, didn’t I?” Haru began to say. “I accept to follow you.”

“You made the good choice. Sakakura, handcuff them.”

“Wait! Is that really necessary?” Haru asked.

“Stop complaining, Munakata is enough indulgent to leave you unharmed.”

“Don’t forget who we are. We fight against despair. Since you are under suspicious, we can’t risk to have you following us to our base without precautions.” Munakata explained.

Sakakura took out two pair of handcuffs and approached from them, but Tokaku blocked his way.

“As if I’ll let you handcuff my girlfriend.” Tokaku threatened.

“Uh? Girlfriend? Oy, Munakata, didn’t you said they were both girls?”

 “That’s what Yukizome said, even if I initially thought Azuma was a boy…”

“Hey that’s rude! Tokaku is a girl!” Haru said.

“And you’re dating?” Sakakura asked with a confuse expression.

“Yes…? Anyway, I won’t let you handcuff her!” Tokaku exclaimed.

“Tokaku, that’s ok. If it what it takes for them to trust us I’ll do it. I…I also want to trust them. This is why I’ll believe in what they said.” Haru declared.

With a resigned expression, the blue haired girl accepted. Sakakura handcuffed her first and it really looks like Tokaku was refraining herself from attacking him. He then handcuffed Haru, who sincerely hoped that she won’t regret her choice.

Haruki’s siblings were now all outside the house, looking at the scene with worries.

“Munakata, I don’t have enough handcuffs for all of them…”

“It won’t be necessary. Those children aren’t under suspicion. I’ll call Yukizome and ask her to send two helicopters instead of one.”

Haru approached from the children, who for most of them seemed really afraid.

“Haru nee-san, who are these men?” Fuyuka asked.

“I…I don’t know. But they seem to be working in an organisation that fights despair. They…think that I and Tokaku may be with those who spread despair. We’ll have to follow them to prove our innocence. Don’t worry, you aren’t in trouble. I promise that I’ll do all that I could to protect you. You need to have faith in me.” Haru said.

Fuyuka seemed to accept the situation and to trust Haru. After a certain time, two helicopters arrived. A woman went out of one of them and approached from them, smiling in a friendly way that put Haru at ease. Strangely, Tokaku didn’t seem to trust her. She had long chestnut hair tied in a ponytail and she was about the same height as the two girls. She had a kind expression that gave her a trustworthy aura.

“Hi, my name is Yukizome Chisa. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you for collaborating. If you don’t mind, I’ll take care of those children. The outside world is not safe from them, but under the protection of Future Foundation, I can guarantee that no harm will be done to them.”

“Escort those children in a safe place and come back for the interrogatory.” Munakata asked her.

Haru didn’t protest. Fuyuka seemed to hesitate for a moment, before following Chisa with her siblings and they went inside one of the helicopters. Sakakura made them go inside of the other helicopter. Haru felt kind of nervous, but she also had faith. Even if the world was in despair, she wanted to believe that there were still people fighting against it. She wanted to believe into the existence of such an organisation. This is why she accepted to go with them. She wanted to meet the Future Foundation’s members, prove her innocence, and see with her own eyes what kind of person they were.


	2. Chapter 2

Haru told the Future Foundation's members almost everything that had happened at Myojo Academy during her interrogation. She told them about the Class Black's students kidnapping, their memories erasing, as well for the Queen Bee ability. She would have preferred to keep her ability secret, but Munakata, the former SHSL School President, had noticed Tokaku's particular behavior when he had fought her.

Indeed, the blue haired girl had interrupted their fight to go at the rescue of Haru. But there was no way she could have known about Haru being attacked by Sakakura, the former SHSL Boxer. To Munakata, it looked like she knew from instinct that Haru was in danger. He had concluded that it had to be either her or the blue haired girl who had some kind of "special" talent. In those circumstances, Haru felt the need to tell him the truth. If she wanted to start a trustworthy relationship with Future Foundation, she considered that it was an important detail about herself that she should maybe not hide from them.

But despite her desire to be honest, Haru omitted to talk about the chairwoman's involvement in the Class Black's killing game. She did tell them that Meichi had disappeared and that she may be somehow related to the SHSL Despair. It wasn't entirely a lie since it was true that Haru didn't know if the chairwoman was truly on the despair side. Haru sincerely doubted it though. Even if she couldn't forgive Yuri for the killing game, what she told them about keeping hope didn't sound like what an actual SHSL Despair would say. Haru didn't want Future Foundation to search and interrogate her too deeply. She was going to be the one who will find the chairwoman and asked her why she had been the mastermind.

Of course, Future Foundation was skeptical about her Queen Bee ability at first. Haru thought that it was understandable, even herself had still some difficulties to believe it. Sakakura almost even attacked her because he thought she was making fun of them (fortunately Munakata and Yukizome, the former SHSL Housekeeper, where there to calm him). But, the white haired man had remained open-minded and even seemed interested about her special ability. But of course, he wanted proves of the Queen Bee ability's existence.

Globally the interrogation went well. It would have been better without Sakakura's angry stare though. Despite his coldness Munakata seemed to be a man with good intentions, but maybe not the kind of person Haru would get along easily. Chisa on the other hands seemed to be someone Haru could befriend. Strangely Tokaku really seemed suspicious of Yukizome, even more than from Sakakura, which Haru couldn't understand. She usually trusted the blue haired girl's judgement, but she was wondering if she was right this time to doubt Chisa.

Since both Haru and Tokaku were under the influence of a truth serum during the interrogation, they weren't under suspicion anymore. The drug had been provided by the former SHSL Pharmacist, Kimura Seiko. Of course, Tokaku had asked to be injected first, to be sure the serum wasn't dangerous for Haru.

After the interrogation, they both had to be examined by the pharmacist to see if the Queen Bee ability was an actual thing. Haru and Tokaku were currently waiting near Seiko's laboratory for the result of their medical exam couple day later.

While waiting, Haru thought about Haruki's siblings. They were currently on a high-secured farm of the 11th Division under the protection of Bandai Daisuke, the former SHSL Farmer. Haru had met him. At first, she was kind of scared because of his large muscular build, but after she talked with him she realised that Bandai was a caring and sweet man, with a surprisingly cute voice. She didn't feel worried at all to leave Haruki's siblings in his charge.

Seiko finally came out from the laboratory. She was a woman about the same height as them, with a particular appearance. Almost her entire face was covered by either a mask on her mouth or her bangs above on of her purple eye, and she had medium length grey hair. Her style gave her a somewhat frightened vibe, but Haru found her rather nice and soft, but quite shy and nervous. Despite the sensitive contents of the medical exam, the pharmacist had remained professional and caring, which put Haru at ease. It wasn't the case for Tokaku though.

"I…I've the result of your medical exams… "Seiko mumbled.

The blue haired girl glanced at the pharmacist, which made her slightly recoiled with a frightened look. Tokaku was still not over what happened during the medical examination. Since the Queen Bee ability was related to pheromones, Seiko had to take a sample from both of them. Due to the nature of the examination, there was only one place where the sample could be taken from…and Tokaku would probably never forgive the pharmacist for that. Seiko let them came inside her laboratory.

"So…what are the results?" Haru asked.

"I…I can't barely believe it. You…your pheromones…are almost the same as those of a queen bee! This is…unbelievable…" the pharmacist whispered.

"And…what does it do?" Haru asked.

"Well, from the tests I ran, Ichinose-san can influence others' will by affecting their pheromones with hers. You could also affect someone enough to turn them into something similar as a worker bee…from what I observed with Azuma-san's pheromones, it's the case with her…"

Even if she already knew that, Haru couldn't help herself from feeling kind of upset. She wanted so much to be normal and to not have this power, and to have the confirmation that she had put the blue haired girl under her control saddened her.

"B-But…! Uh, even if Azuma-san is your worker bee, it's not like…you could give her any kinds of order. She's not…brainwashed. She's only more…inclined to protect you, she can feel when you are in danger and…it may affect her attraction to you." Seiko added nervously.

It seemed that the pharmacist noticed Haru's discomfort and tried to somehow reassure her. Even if Haru appreciated her effort, it didn't really help. She still felt bad to have used her ability on Tokaku.

Suddenly, the blue haired girl gently grabbed her hand which caused Haru to feel her heart racing.

"It doesn't matter. Even before, I wanted to protect Haru and I loved her. Even if I'm currently under her power, I know that my feelings for her and my desire to protect her are true." Tokaku declared.

This time, Haru felt that she must be blushing heavily due to her lover's words. Tokaku was right. Even before they lost their memories, they were dating. At that time the blue haired girl wasn't under her control, it was the proof that their feelings for each of were reals. And if she hadn't use her power on Tokaku, the blue haired girl would have fell into despair and ending up killing herself. It was the only way to save her.

"Well, that's probably true….uh…anyway. The point is, outside from your body your pheromones can't be used to control people. Only you can do that on some level. At the best your pheromones could be used as a powerful aphrodisiac…not that it would be useful." Seiko said.

"It better this way I think. At least the Queen Bee ability can't fall into the wrong hands." Haru said.

"Afro…what?" Tokaku replied.

"Anyway, I'll inform Munakata about this, and I'll run some other tests to be sure. You…you can return to your room. Thank you...for your collaboration."

Haru thanked her back for her hospitality and she left the laboratory, walking hand in hand with Tokaku.

* * *

Haru and Tokaku officially became Future Foundation's members in the 2nd Division under the leadership of Munakata. They were assigned to the peacekeeping force. With Haru's ability and Tokaku's combat's skills, their role was to protect innocents and fight against the SHSL Despair.

As Future Foundation's members, Haru was wearing a long sleeves white shirt under a black vest and a black skirt with her regular shoes, while Tokaku was now wearing a long sleeves black shirt with a blue tie and a black pant with her usual boots.

"Hey you, is it true that you're some kind of queen?" a feminine voice suddenly asked.

Haru turned back and saw a woman slightly above her height, with a cute and cheerful appearance. She was with a rather tall man with a serious expression, wearing a long red trench coat.

Haru and Tokaku were currently assisting the 8nd and 9nd Divisions in a mission to help some refugees. Haru had assisted the 8nd Division to help providing foods to the refugees, while Tokaku had been assigned to the management of weapons with the 9nd Division.

The two people who approached them were Ando Ruruka, the former SHSL Confectioner and the leader of the 8nd Division, and Sonosuke Izayoi, the former SHSL Blacksmith and the leader of the 9nd Division.

"Ah, uh, not really…I'm only…" Haru began to say.

"Haru isn't some kind of queen. She's my queen." Tokaku replied.

Even if what the blue haired girl said made Haru happy, she was also quite embarrassed that she said this in public.

"Ah, I see. You're in that kind of relationship." Ruruka said.

Tokaku suddenly glanced at Izayoi with a suspicious gaze.

"You…you have way too much weapons hidden on you." The blue haired girl said.

"There's no such a thing as too much weapons." the man replied calmly.

"As expected from the SHSL Blacksmith." Tokaku commented.

"Surprisingly for the SMSL Assassin." Izayoi replied.

"I'm not an assassin. I'm the SHSL Bodyguard now. And I know enough about weapons to say that there's a limit of how many weapons we should carry." Tokaku said.

Tokaku and the blacksmith gazed at each other for few seconds before they both took out a knife. They then began to walk away together and disappeared from their sight.

"Tokaku…?!"

"Let them. I think our boyfriends need to settle this among men." Ruruka said.

"But Tokaku isn't a…"

"You aren't dating?"

"Yes, we are a couple, but…"

The confectioner suddenly put a hand on Haru's shoulder and looked at her with a friendly yet intimidating gaze.

"I heard something else about you, something quite interesting. Is it true that you have mind-control's power?" Ruruka asked.

"Uh? No…not really. I…do have an ability to influence people's will, but…it's not that strong as you think. Ah, but no need to worry about that, I don't intend to use it for…"

"You know, I also have an ability to control others." the confectioner interrupted.

Suddenly, Ruruka's gaze seemed more threatening. She took something from her pocket. Haru sighed in relief when she saw that it was a candy.

"Ah, I get it! I heard about it. The way of someone's heart is through their stomach, right?" Haru replied.

"How about you have a taste, Ichinose-san?"

Ruruka unwrapped the candy and approach it from Haru's lips. To be polite, Haru accepted it and ate the candy. It was delicious. But, she tasted something odd with the candy. She suddenly felt dizzy for few seconds, before returning to her normal state. Ruruka was now closer from her and she gently stroke Haru's cheek.

"So, how was it? Delicious, isn't it? So much that you couldn't live without this taste? You want another one, right? You would be ready to do anything only to taste it again…" the confectioner softly whispered.

"Uh...no? Your candy was delicious, but I don't think it would be good for my health to eat too many sweets, sorry." Haru replied.

Ruruka suddenly gazed at her with a cold stare. Haru was worried that she may had offended her and she wanted to rectify what she said.

"Ah, but your candy was one of best I've taste! As expected from the former SHSL Confectioner! Maybe a second one wouldn't be bad…" Haru tried to say.

Ruruka suddenly grabbed Haru's collar and drawn her face close to hers. Haru felt kind of uncomfortable because it was too close.

"Listen, Ichinose-san. I don't know what you are capable of, but you better not be in my way. If you don't bother me, everything will be fine for you. If you get in my way…you might end up badly. Don't underestimate me."

Haru wasn't sure to understand what was happening. Did she make Ruruka mad? And in what way could she get…

The confectioner suddenly released her and recoiled. Tokaku and Izayoi were coming back. Ruruka suddenly ran toward her boyfriend and hugged him.

"Yoi-chan!" she called him, before leaving the area while holding his arm.

The blue haired girl approached Haru. She looked unharmed, which reassured Haru.

"So…how did it go?"

"It was a tie. He was strong." Tokaku replied. "This woman…I don't trust her. For a confectioner, she smells quite bitter."

"Even though she was acting so sweet…we could say she's a bittersweet person. She kind of reminds me of Isuke-san."

"Hum, another reason to beware of her."

Suddenly , Tokaku gently grabbed Haru's shoulders and gazed at her with a soft look.

"Haru, don't worry. I'll protect you, from her and from anyone who want to wrong you."

Haru smiled, comforted by her lover's words. She then approached her face from hers and gave her a chaste kiss. After few seconds, Tokaku recoiled and winced. It seemed that she had taste the candy Haru ate earlier.

"It's…too sweet…"

* * *

Haru and Tokaku were currently running toward the control room. They had received a call from Chisa telling them that there was something they absolutely needed to see there. The housekeeper asked them to not reveal to Munakata that she was the one who warned them about this, since it was supposed to be a confidential information.

They went inside the control room. Almost every Future Foundation's Division leaders were there. They were all looking at a screen. The screen was showing a group of 16 students in a gymnasium. They were all facing the platform. Haru blenched when she noticed what they were looking at; a Monokuma teddy bear.

He was speaking with the same voice the Monokuma who was responsible of the Class Black's killing game had. Could the person who controlled him be the chairwoman? Haru didn't want to believe it.

" _You must kill someone if you want to leave._ " Monokuma said to the students.

Haru almost felt as her heart stopped beating when she heard that.

"No, it can't be…" Haru mumbled.

Some of the people, including Munakata turned back to look at her.

"Ichinose…don't tell me…this is the same…" the white haired man began to say.

But Haru wasn't listening to him. The despair was consuming her thoughts. Haru understood that those unfortunate students were about to suffer a killing game. The despairful tragedy that cost the life of almost all Haru's classmates was about to happen again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haru is about to witness the broadcast of the first DR game.
> 
> For those who are confused about Ruruka's actions, she put powerful narcotics in her candies to make people addict to them and to control them. But we know that Haru is resilient to those kind of drugs so it didn't work on her, but Ruruka doesn't know that. She thinks that it's because of her ability, thus she's now worried about Haru.
> 
> Tokaku being misgendered became a running gag now.
> 
> Btw Seiko is my DR3 waifu. So precious cinnamon role.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry for this long hiatus, with my full-time job, the book I'm working on and my current obsession with ponies, I didn't have time to work on this story. I still want to finish it tho so I'll try to work on it when I have time.
> 
> Warning: Spoilers for the first Danganronpa game, as well as pretty much all the games (except NDV3). If you intend to play the DR games or watch the animes and you don't want to be spoiled, go do it first before reading this chapter.

The world was even more despairful than Naegi Makoto initially thought before he exited the school with the other remaining survivors. He was ready to discover a world overwhelmed by despair, but he wasn't expecting such a devastated and hellish view.

Naegi was one of the six survivors of the killing game that happened in Hope's Peak Academy between the Class 78th's students. Originally he was known as the Super High School Level Lucky Student, but after he defeated the SHSL Despair and mastermind Enoshima Junko, he became the SHSL Hope. The other survivors were Kirigiri Kyouko, the SHSL Detective, Asahina Aoi, the SHSL Swimmer, Togami Byakuya, the SHSL Heir, Hagakure Yasuhiro, the SHSL Fortune Teller and Fukawa Toko, the SHSL Writer.

Naegi suddenly felt some difficulty to breath. It was like the air was polluted or something. When he heard his classmates coughed too, he understood that it must be it. Junko didn't lie, the air was really almost unbreathable.

Fortunately, their suffocation didn't last long. A group of people wearing some sort of scubas suddenly surrounded them, followed by a helicopter that landed near them.

"Come with us if you want to live!" one of those people told them.

With nowhere else to go into this despair-inducing world, the Class 78th's survivors decided to follow them inside the helicopter. They gave them oxygen mask to help them breath, while the helicopter fly off.

* * *

The group of survivors where now waiting in an empty room. Naegi, Asahina, Hagakure and Toko were sitting on chairs on front of a table, where Kirigiri and Togami remained stood up, the detective near Naegi and Byakuya was standing in the back of the room. They have been told to wait there and that someone from their organisation will come to explain the situation to them.

"W-What is it supposed to be? An…an in-interrogation!? Don't tell me we're in t-trouble!" Toko exclaimed nervously.

"It's true that it seems to be an interrogation room, but I don't think we're in danger. They wouldn't have rescued us only to harm us afterward." Kirigiri said.

"Who knows? In this despairful world it could be a possibility. There's people as twisted as Enoshima out there." Byakuya replied.

"What…no…I don't want to die! We need to escape before we end up in another killing game!" Hagakure shouted with panic.

"Everyone, calm down!" Aoi intervened. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions. Those people were kind enough to save us when we were outside the school and they even feed us, we should at least give them the benefit of the doubt."

"Asahina-san is right. We have no reason to doubt them. Enoshima-san did tell that they were still people out there that believe in hope. It must be them! We shouldn't give up on hope now, not after all we went through together. We need to…" Naegi began to say.

Suddenly the door opened, interrupting the SHSL Hope's speech. Two people went inside the room and closed the door behind them. One of them was a young girl that seemed around their age, with fluffy and curly red-pinkish hair. The other one seemed to be the same age and looked like an androgynous young boy with short blue hair. They were both wearing professional clothing.

The red-pinkish haired girl sat in front of them and showed a quite friendly smile, but her eyes look kind of sad. The blue-haired remained on their feet near her, glaring at them emotionless.

"You must by wondering why you were brought here. Don't worry, we're not your enemies. We want to help you so you could recover from…what happened to you." the girl told them.

"And…who are you? W-Why should we trust you!?" Toko asked.

"Oh right, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Ichinose Haru, I'm a member of Future Foundation's second Division. I'm working in the peacekeeping force. And there is…"

"Azuma Tokaku. Also in the 2th Division." the blue-haired added coldly.

"Wait…Future Foundation? Care to explain to us what it is?" Togami asked in a tone of voice that sounded more like an order than a question.

"We're an organisation who as for goal to save the world from despair. We work for the sake of people and to ensure a better future." Haru answered.

Naegi was glad to hear that. He had been right to believe in hope. Despite the fact that the world fell into despair, there was still people who fight for hope and to make a world a better place. But unlike him, Toko didn't seem happy to hear that. The writer slammed her fist against the table and looked at the two Future Foundation's members angrily.

"I-If what you said is true, then why…why didn't you save us!?" Toko shouted with a nervous yet angry voice. "You should have known that we were trapped in Hope's Peak, forced to kill each other, and yet…you did nothing to rescue us…"

"We did witness the killing game, and don't think that we didn't try anything we could to save you. But since the academy was now a shelter highly protected, we couldn't unfortunately go inside." Azuma explained calmly.

"T-Try everything you could? Aren't you supposed to be a powerful organisation? How useless are you if you're not even able to force your way in a school…!" Toko continued to accuse.

"Fukawa-san, calm down! I'm sure they really did try their best to…" Asahina tried to say.

"It's ok. We understand your pain. You have all the right to be angry at us. Future Foundation did try their best to save you, but I know I wouldn't comfort you after the hell you undergone. I just want you to know that we truly sympathize for what you lived and that we understand the pain you went through." Ichinose said.

The red-pinkish haired girl's gaze seemed regretful, like she was feeling about what happened to them. She was still smiling kindly, but her smile seemed rather sad than joyful. Naegi wasn't angry at her and he was convinced that she was telling the truth.

"You understand our pain? B-Bullshit! How could you possibly understand the horror we went through…" Toko protested.

"Watch your tongue, you have no idea what you are talking about!" Azuma replied aggressively.

The writer squeak in fear in response to Tokaku's sudden angry reaction, but it didn't stop her from continuing to complain.

"B-But but…it's true! How could you understand what we went through? It's not like you were also forced to participate in a sick killing game with your own classmates while being amnesiac…" Toko added.

"You…." the blue-haired mumbled with frustration.

"Yes, we did." Ichinose replied seriously.

Her smile faded away. Haru was now looking at them with a stoic expression. Toko immediately became quiet and showed some regret on her face. The others looked at Ichinose with confusion.

"What…what do you mean? You…also had to participate in a killing game?" Aoi asked.

"Yes, we were. Just like you, we were trapped inside of our school, Myojo Academy. It was also a shelter for survivors, but it became unfortunately our prison. We went through the exact same kind of killing game. With the murders, the investigations, the class trials, the…executions…" Haru said sadly. "Our memory was also erased, but unlike you, it wasn't perfectly erased. I could still remember things in my dream, and it didn't erase my feelings towards my classmates."

"And…your classmates, where are they?" Naegi asked, though he already had a doubt what would be the answer.

"Tokaku and I…are the only survivors."

Everyone became quiet for a moment. The survivors seemed to sympathise with what Ichinose told them, even Byakuya. After all, they went through the same nightmare. Even though Toko didn't apologize for her rudeness, she seemed to feel guilty about what she told them. Azuma looked away with a cold expression. Suddenly, Ichinose smiled again. Her smile was soft and also filled with what seemed to be optimism.

"But we are alive. All of us are. We all survived to this hell. We didn't succumb to despair despite what we went through. For the sake of those who died, we have to make sure no one suffer the same fate as us. This is why I joined Future Foundation. Because I still have faith in our world, in good. I want to save the world it despairful state and bring hope again, for the sake of a better future." Haru declared.

Naegi was touched by her speech that he found was filled with hope. He would also want to help the world overcome despair, to spread his hope for a better future.

"Sorry to spoil the moment, but you still didn't tell us why we were brought here." Kirigiri suddenly said. "Is that supposed to be an interrogation?"

"Oh, right, sorry about that. No, don't worry, we're not here to interrogate you. Tokaku and I had to went through one but it's different, because our killing game…wasn't broadcasted, so Future Foundation didn't know if we were SHSL Despair or not. But in your case, we know you aren't. This is why we are here to make you the same proposition they made us back then." Haru explained.

"And what it is?" Togami asked.

"To join Future Foundation and help us save the world from despair." Ichinose replied.

Once again the survivors became silent. They looked at each other without any ounce of hesitation in their eyes (except maybe for Hagakure) and they ultimately made the same choice as Naegi.

"I'll do it. As the SHSL Hope, I'll use my talent to overcome all the despair in the world and spread hope. I want to make our world hopeful again!"

* * *

"Ichinose-san, Azuma-kun!" Naegi called out.

Haru and Tokaku turned back, while Naegi ran towards them, followed by Kirigiri who was simply walking.

"Kun?" The blue-haired said.

"Ah, sorry. Was it too familiar?" Naegi asked, worried.

"No, as long as you're using my surname I'm fine. I don't really care about the honorific or what you think I am." Azuma replied.

Naegi wasn't sure what Tokaku meant by that, but he was glad that the blue-haired wasn't bother. The SHSL Hope was kind of happy to have a boy of his height around him. Every guy here was taller than him, even some of the girls. He would have wanted to become friend with Azuma, but the blue-haired wasn't really sociable. The only person Tokaku was close to was his girlfriend Ichinose.

It had been months since the Class 78th's survivors joined Future Foundation. Despite the death of the true SHSL Despair Enoshima Junko, there were still people out there who were spreading despair. Those were known as the Remnants of Despair. Future Foundation was currently fighting them, hoping that defeating those last remains of despair would allow the world to recover from the Tragedy.

"Makoto-kun, Kyouko-san, hi." Haru said with a friendly smile.

"Ah, hi. Uh, I have something to ask you, before you leave for Towa City." Naegi began to say. "But first, if you are allowed to tell me, what's your mission there?"

"Munakata gave us the mission to retrieve a particular weapon there. An anti-despair weapon apparently. We don't know it real name, but the official one that was used to describe it was the  _Despairful Anti-Despair Tracking Machine of Destruction_." Azuma replied. "He thinks that it could be useful to Future Foundation in order to fight against the Remnants."

"What a ridiculously long name for a weapon." Kirigiri commented.

"I see. Uh, you probably know that, but my little sister Komaru is in Towa City. I spoke to her recently, during the incident that happened there. She chose to stay there to help the people there, and I accepted her choice. But I'm still worried about her. Could you, uh, you know…make sure she's ok?"

"Of course! We'll try to look for her after our mission. It's normal for a big brother to be worried about his little sister." Haru accepted with a kind smile.

Naegi was relieved. He knew that Haru would probably accept is request, but to hear her said that comfort him. He was so worried about his sister, knowing that she was still in a city filled with Monokuma bears.

He really got along with Ichinose. They were both quite optimistic and with a strong feeling of hope, even if Haru claimed that in her case it was more faith than hope. Naegi still viewed her as a hopeful girl. Azuma was really a lucky guy to have a girlfriend like her.

He felt even more close to her when he discovered that she was once known as the Super Middle School Level Lucky Student, even if her true talent was in fact SMSL Survivor. But apparently her title was now SHSL Queen, but he didn't know why. He also heard that she was supposed to go at Hope's Peak Academy as the SHSL Survivor. He, as well as his classmates, recently got back his memory and discovered that they had meet Haru and her classmates once, when Class Black visited Hope's Peak before the Tragedy. He was quite sad to know that they were almost all dead since he now remembered them. Ichinose told him that she had preferred to not tell him that they had met before to not confuse him with things he couldn't remember, and also because she had faith that he would eventually remember her.

"Thanks! And I wish you luck for your mission." Naegi said as he extended his hand towards Haru.

The red-pinkish haired girl smiled softly as she grabbed his hand to shake it. Naegi noticed that Azuma glare at him coldly. He released Haru's hand and the two lovers walked away, towards where the helicopters where.

"Azuma-kun is quite a possessive boyfriend don't you think? And wasn't he the SMSL Assassin before? Should I be scared to be too friendly with Ichinose-san?" Naegi asked.

"Well, she's the SHSL Bodyguard now apparently, so I don't think so." Kirigiri replied stoically.

It took few seconds for Naegi to realise that something was odd with what the detective said.

"She…?" he asked, confused.

"Yes, she. Azuma-san is a girl you know."

"But…they…they are dating…right?"

"Yes, they are a couple. Of girls."

Naegi blushed a little bit because of his misunderstanding and the revelation.

"Oh, I see. They both…swing that way. As expected from the SHSL Detective to discover Azuma-kun…I mean Azuma-san's true gender. Just like with Fujisaki-san…"

"No, you're the only one of us who still didn't get it."

Naegi felt even more embarrassed to be the only one of them who still thought that Tokaku was a boy. He then sighed, realising that with what he just learned, he meant that he was still the smallest boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vote Naegi for president. He'll make the world hopeful again! (sorry for the bad joke)
> 
> Here's a list of the AnR characters' SMSL talent, the SHSL talent they were supposed to have and their current title:
> 
> Haru: SMSL Survivor, SMSL Lucky Student (fake), SHSL Survivor (originally), SHSL Queen (currently)
> 
> Tokaku: SMSL Assassin, SMSL ? (previously), SHSL Assassin (Originally), SHSL Bodyguard (Currently)
> 
> Isuke: SMSL and SHSL Kick-Boxer
> 
> Kouko: SMSL Leader and SHSL Class Representative
> 
> Hitsugi: SMSL and SHSL Toxicologist
> 
> Shiena: SMSL Hacker, SHSL Dramatist (originally), SMSL Despair (currently)
> 
> Haruki: SMSL and SHSL Street Fighter
> 
> Suzu: SMSL and SHSL Gamester
> 
> Otoya: SMSL Florist and SHSL Scissorer
> 
> Chitaru: SMSL and SHSL Fencer
> 
> Nio: SMSL Illusionist, SMSL Trash (fake), SHSL Illusionist
> 
> Sumireko: SMSL Survivor, SMSL Lady (fake), SHSL Tea Sommelier
> 
> Mahiru: SMSL and SHSL Seamstress
> 
> Shinya: SMSL and SHSL Demolisher
> 
> Next chapter, the mission to retrieve the anti-despair weapon! And some characters from the Ultra Despair Girls game spin-off will be there (so spoilers for that game).


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Heavy spoilers for the game Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls.

Haru thought that she would have to search for Naegi's sister after her mission. It looked like she wouldn't have to anymore.

For this mission, Tokaku and she had to work together with an intern from Future Foundation. This person was none other than Fukawa Toko, one of the survivors from the killing game that took place in Hope's Peak Academy. But what was their surprised when they discovered that she was currently living with Naegi Komaru, the one they were supposed to look for.

Just like with his brother, Haru got quite along with Komaru. Haru could see the resemblance between the Naegi siblings. They were both optimistic and animated with a desire to help others, but unlike her brother Komaru was more realistic than hopeful.

"So you are looking for an anti-despair weapon…what its name again?" Komaru asked.

"The  _Despairful Anti-Despair Tracking Machine of Destruction_." Tokaku replied.

"That's…quite the name uh." Naegi's sister said.

"And there's a lot of  _D_  in it….hehe." Toko added. "But it makes sense that such a weapon would be in Towa City. After all, Towa Group used to create weapon to fight against the SHSL Despair…as well as weapon to spread despair…"

Suddenly the hotel's room where Komaru and Toko were living opened. A young girl went inside the room. She was an innocent looking girl who didn't seem to be older than 13, with long pink hair tied in two twin tails.

"Komaru onee-chan, I'm here to play with you!" The young girl exclaimed cheerfully.

"Kotoko-chan!?" Naegi's sister replied.

The pink haired girl's gaze suddenly stopped on Haru. Kotoko's eyes seemed full of stars when she saw Haru and a wide smile appeared in her lips as she ran towards her.

"You…you're so kyute!" Kotoko exclaimed as she hugged Haru. "Who's this adorbs onee-san?"

Haru wasn't sure how to react. A girl she never met just had suddenly hugged her and called her cute. But since she was a kid, Haru wasn't really wary of her. What such a small kid could do to her anyway?

"I'm…Ichinose Haru. And you must be…Kotoko-chan?"

"So you're Haru nee-san. Would you like to come play with me too?"

"I-Ichinose, don't trust her!" Toko suddenly said. "That little brat…she's a pervert. She must be after your virginity!"

"Well she's too late for that, I already took care of it." Tokaku commented.

Everyone became quiet. The blue haired girl suddenly blushed a little, like she had just realised the extent of what she just said. Kotoko released Haru and gazed at Tokaku.

"Ah, so Haru nee-san already belongs to someone. Isn't that right, cool-looking onii-san…?" Kotoko began to say, before a sly smile appeared on her lips. "Or should I say cool-looking onee-san? You almost fooled me with your boyish appearance."

"That wasn't my intention, not that I care about how I look and how people view me." Tokaku replied.

"Wait what? Azuma-san is…a girl!?" Komaru exclaimed with shock.

"It's also the reaction I had when I learned it…well, in my case it's more because I understood that they were two girls dating." Toko added before smiling perversely. "I had never met that kind of couple before..."

"Eh? But I always thought that you and Komaru onee-chan were into that kind of relationship." Kotoko said.

"What? O-Of course not! Because I…I already have Byakuya-sama…"

"Oh, is that so? So it's mean I can have Komaru onee-chan all for myself…"

Kotoko suddenly went toward Naegi's sister with a gesture that suggested that she was about to hug her too, but Toko blocked her way and looked at her with a pissed expression.

"Like hell I would let you do that!" the writer exclaimed angrily.

"Uh? But you already have your Byakuya-sama, don't you? Why should you care about what I want to do with her?"

"Well…because she's…my friend. My important friend. So it's normal that I want to protect her from a sexual deviant like you!" Toko replied because she blushed from embarrassment.

While they continued to argue, Haru was lost in her thoughts. She wondered why everyone was always so surprised to learn that Tokaku was a girl. Sure, she looked quite androgynous and boyish, but still, Haru found her quite girly sometimes, especially in bed…something that she would certainly not say out loud. She then wondered why people usually seemed so surprised when they learned that Tokaku and she was a couple. Was that so unusual for two girls to be in love? In Class Black girls couples seemed to be quite the norm…Thinking about her late classmates suddenly made Haru's sad.

"If you have finished arguing like a bunch of kids, I would like to remember you that we have a mission to accomplish." Tokaku suddenly said.

"Oh, that's true. We should go now." Haru added.

"Uh? You're leaving? But I came here to play with Komaru onee-chan!" Kotoko whined.

"Well too bad for you, because she's coming with us." Toko said while she took Komaru's hand in a rather defensive and possessive way.

"She does!? But I think…she isn't a Future Foundation's member, isn't she?" Haru asked.

"No, and neither am I…technically. Komaru and I are a team, a duo. I always do my missions with her."

"I don't mind if she comes with us, but we should leave now. We already had lost enough time." Tokaku said.

"Hey, can I come too?" Kotoko asked.

As they were about to leave, Toko turned back to gaze at the kid with a deadly stare, before giving her a simple answer.

"No."

* * *

"Why were you so rough with that girl?" Haru asked.

The group were now heading to the Towa Group's factory to retrieve the anti-despair weapon.

"She's not just a harmless little girl you know. She used to be a mass murderer." Toko replied.

"Really? How such a small girl could do such a thing…"

"And she even stole Komaru's virginity…"

"That's not true!" Komaru protested while blushing. "I admit that she tried to do…lewd stuff to me, but it was in the past. She had changed, just like the other Warriors of Hope, well except for uh…Monaca. But still, it was all Enoshima Junko's fault if they ended up doing those things!"

"Meh, I'm still not trusting her."

While they were still walking, Toko approached Haru and Tokaku.

"Hey, you…why didn't you told us that we had met before?" the writer asked.

"I…didn't want to confuse you. You were all still amnesiac and you had just escaped from a killing game. I wanted to let you recover and eventually remembered by yourself." Haru replied.

"I see…but still, I would have liked to know before, especially since…I told you those awful things. I'm…sorry for that, telling you those things when you lived the same nightmare we went through was wrong…"

"You don't need to apologise, you couldn't have known. I must admit that is was hard for me to talk with all of you while pretending to not know you." Haru said.

They finally arrived in front of the Towa Group's factory. Haru could smell a strong dust aroma and she suddenly heard someone sneezed.

"Ararara, where am I this time…Dekomaru, who's those two?"

Haru thought that it was Toko who said that, but the writer's behavior seemed…odd. Her eyes looked different and her tongue was out of her mouth.

"Fukawa-san? Are you ok?" Haru asked.

"Uh? I ain't that nerdy girl! I'm Genocider Sho, nice to meet ya!"

"Oh, you never met her…Toko has a…split personality." Komaru explained.

Genocider suddenly took out a pair of scissors and glanced at Tokaku with a lustful gaze.

"Who's that cute looking boy…?"

"First of all I'm already taken, and secondly I'm a girl." Tokaku said while taking Haru's hand. "I'm seriously thinking about letting my hair grew…"

Haru couldn't help herself from imagining Tokaku with long hair and she blushed, before she realised that now wasn't the right time to fantasize. She could try to convince her girlfriend to let her hair grow later.

"Ah, why am I always trick by traps!?" Genocider complained, before a perverted smile appeared on her face. "Wait, so you're both girls, and you are together, right? So you are…yuri!?"

Tokaku took out a knife with a threatening vibe.

"Yuri…? You…you know her?" the blue haired girl asked.

"Uh? Of course I know about yuri! I read a lot of mangas about that, even if the bookworm with whom I'm sharing this body hates them. But I've a preference with BL stuff…"

Tokaku suddenly grabbed Genocider by the collar and put her knife near her throat.

"I've no idea what you are rambling about, but you better tell me what you know about the chairwoman!"

Genocider used her scissor to block her knife and she struggled to get free with success.

"The chair-what now? I ain't got a clue 'bout that! And if you try to attack me again I swear I won't be nice. You may be a girl, but with that pretty boyish face of yours, I may do an exception and slay you."

"Toko, you can't do that!" Komaru exclaimed, worried.

"Uh, I think they may have a misunderstanding. Tokaku was talking about Yuri Meichi, the chairwoman of Myojo Academy. But I don't think Fukawa-san was talking about that, isn't it?" Haru asked.

"Nope, I was talkin' about yuri mangas. You know, those lesbians stuff? 'cause you're gay."

"We are what?" Tokaku asked.

"You know, lesbos…and you're doing those kind of things." Genocider replied while taking a second scissors and proceeding to clip them together. "This is how girls had sex in those mangas, but maybe you could tell me if it's really the case or not, with some explicit details…"

"Toko! That's inappropriate!" Komaru reprimanded.

"Ah, don't bother me Cumaru, I'm trying to have a nice conversation with those two les… atishoo!"

Genocider suddenly sneezed.

"What the…oh no, I became her again don't I…" Toko said.

"Your split personality…she smells differently than you. She smelt rotten." Tokaku said. "It reminds me of a certain person I don't want to think about."

"What!? Are you telling me that I stink?!"

"There's that too…"

"…I can't deny that. Anyway, she's…Genocider Sho, my…ex-serial killer's other personality. It's…a long story. But she used to…kill handsome men for her own pleasure. But she didn't kill since a long time, I can control her now, so no need to worry."

"So it wasn't just the smell, she really is like her…" Tokaku said bitterly.

Haru noticed that Tokaku clenched her fists. She knew who she was talking about. Even if they recovered their memory, the blue haired girl still held a grudge against Otoya. Despite all she had done, Haru couldn't bring herself to hate her, or neither of her deceased classmates.

"So…maybe we should go inside now? You know, to search for that weapon." Komaru suddenly proposed.

After this awkward moment, they all finally went inside the factory.

* * *

They split up in two groups in order to cover more ground. Obviously Haru and Tokaku went together while Komaru and Toko formed the second group.

"I can't trust that girl. She's a serial killer." Tokaku said.

" _Ex_ -serial killer. And no she isn't. It's her split personality who is." Haru replied.

"Close enough to me. We don't know when she will come back and how dangerous she could be."

"It was still not a good reason to attack her like that, especially because of Yuri-san…"

"The chairwoman is the one responsible for the death of our classmates! She tried to get us killed, we have to find her, she must be an ally of those Remnants of Despair…"

"I'm not so sure about that. Yes she claimed to be the mastermind, but I wondered if she was telling the truth. She didn't seem to be a SHSL Despair when I talked with her. And isn't Enoshima-san the one responsible for all of this?"

"Then they must be allies! Enoshima, we…met her before. Twice. As well as Ikusaba! They were definitely involved in our killing game, but still, the chairwoman can't be innocent!"

Haru remembered that. They had met both Junko and Mukuro when they had visited Hope's Peak before the Tragedy. At that time she even thought that Junko was a nice person. How wrong she was…even Tokaku had been fooled by Enoshima acting.

The second time they met them was during the event known as the Tragedy of Myojo, where the Class Black's students were kidnapped. The ones responsible for those disappearances were none other than Junko and Mukuro. Under the orders of her younger sister, the SHSL Soldier had fight and abducted the weakest members of the class and used them as hostages to oblige the stronger ones to give up and let themselves got capture.

Haru had been abducted by Junko while Mukuro was fighting Tokaku. The blue haired girl had been coerced by the SHSL Despair to give up when she was threatening Haru's life and they both ended up kidnapped and their memory erased. Haru could remember the person who erased her memory, the one wearing the Monokuma masked. She wasn't sure who it was, but she knew that this person claimed to be her classmate so it must be someone in Class Black. Since the traitor was apparently Nio, then it should have been her.

"Enoshima-san and Ikusaba-san are the one who kidnapped all of us, so they must be the ones who were behind our killing game too. Yuri-san, she…I don't know how she's involved into all of this. This is why I want to find her, to have an explanation from her." Haru said.

"This is also what I want. But still, if she really is a SHSL Despair, I'll have no hesitation to denounce her to Munakata."

"Only if she really is one of them. But until then, we can't tell him about our suspicion towards her."

"I know, you don't want him to get involve. Don't worry, I won't betray you. Not that I can anyway."

They both went inside a room that looked like a laboratory. There was a capsule in the middle of the room made of an opaque material. They couldn't see what was inside exactly, but they could see that whatever was inside had a humanoid shape.

"Could it be…the weapon?" Haru wondered. "But why does it look so…human…"

"It must be some kind of robot. I heard that Towa Group was specialised in robotic."

"But still, I wonder…about its name. Why is it called like that? How a weapon could be both despairful and anti-despair? And how is it a tracking machine of destruction? That sounds dangerous!"

"I don't know…but like Munakata said, it's an unofficial name. It's really name was only known by the people who worked directly on this project."

Tokaku approached the capsule and pressed a big button that was near. The capsule suddenly began to slowly open up.

"Haru-san, Azuma-san, have you…wo, what is that!?" Komaru exclaimed.

Komaru and Toko went inside the room, looking with confusion at the capsule.

"It could be the weapon." Tokaku replied.

"Have you found something?" Haru asked.

"Not really, this place had been trashed." Toko replied.

"Me I found something cute in what seemed to be a hospital room. It looks like a strap for cellphone." Komaru said while showing the strap.

Haru blenched. The strap she was holding was composed of a purple gem, a silver heart and a little duck, as well as multiple platinum colored beads.

"There's something written on the capsule. It looks like…the weapon's name." Tokaku began to say. "Super High School Level…Cyborg!?"

The capsule was finally fully opened. There was a person inside. Half of their body was robotic, from the hips to the feet. There were four scars of their body, on the chest, abdomen, flank and left eye. Both their arms were robotic too. The person was only wearing underwear. They had long orange hair tied up in a ponytail. Their eyes suddenly opened up, showing that the orbit was black and seemed artificial, while some kind of blue lights were where the iris were supposed to be. The light suddenly became red as Haru suddenly sank into despair.

"H-Hanabusa-san…?" Haru mumbled with teary eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the identity of the mysterious fifth survivor is finally revealed: Hanabusa Sumireko, who's now the SHSL Cyborg! It was in fact one of the talent I originally thought for her SMSL title. If you remember well, Shiena did say that she would send the fifth survivor to Towa City. Well, there she is! Congratulation for those who guessed that she was still alive! 
> 
> I also mentioned in Akuma no Ronpa a dream Tokaku made about two girls who abducted her and Haru. Well it was Junko and Mukuro.
> 
> What do you think will happen next?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Spoilers for the second game of Danganronpa.

"H-Hanabusa-san…?" Haru mumbled with tears in her eyes.

The despair began to overcome Haru. She always thought that Sumireko died and could have rest in peace with Banba in the afterlife. But to learn that not only she survived, but she had been turned into some kind of machine was too despairful for Haru.

She suddenly noticed that the cyborg eyes turned from blue to red. Sumireko was gazing at her with a cold expression.

"Despair detected. Mode elimination activated." the cyborg said with an emotionless voice.

Haru was shocked to hear Sumireko's voice. Even if she still had to same voice, she now sounded more…robotic, her tone of voice was mechanical and devoid of feeling, of humanity…

The red-pinkish haired girl couldn't think about it more that Sumireko suddenly rushed towards her like a wrecking ball.

"Haru, be careful!" Tokaku suddenly shouted.

Her girlfriend suddenly pushed her out of the way and intercepted the cyborg attack.

"Hanabusa! What are you doing?! Why are you trying to attack Haru?" Tokaku asked.

"No despair detected. Not a target for elimination." Sumireko replied robotically while she pushed the blue haired girl away.

The cyborg seemed to completely ignore her and went back to Haru. But Tokaku didn't give up and grabbed Sumireko, before starting a fight with her. But it was only the blue haired girl who was fighting, while the cyborg only seemed to be avoiding her attacks.

Haru suddenly noticed that Komaru was aiming at Sumireko with some kind of microphone. Haru knew that it was a weapon that could destroy robots, which is why she ran towards Naegi's sister.

"Komaru-san, don't do that!" Haru pleaded.

The brown haired girl slightly lowered her weapon and looked at Haru with confusion.

"Why? Do you know that…robot?" Toko asked.

"It's not a robot, it's a person!" Haru protested.

"She looks more like a cyborg…and she should put some clothes."

"Even so, she stills a human, and she was my classmate!"

"Uh? Classmate? But I thought they were all…dead…" Toko reacted.

"I…also though so…I don't know how it is possible." Haru said sadly.

"Then why did she try to attack you?" Komaru asked.

"I…I'm not sure, but…I may have an idea. So please, don't attack her with that microphone. Since she's a cyborg, she may have robotic part inside of her, and if you shoot her, you may severely injured her, or worse, kill her."

"I get it. Well, I may have the right person to buy you some time." Toko said while taking out a taser.

To Haru's surprise, the writer suddenly electrocuted her head. Worriedly, Haru tried to reach for her, but Toko seemed fine. But she wasn't Toko anymore.

"Oy, I'm back!" Genocider Sho shouted with enthusiasm. "Ah, what's that thin over there?"

"Haru-san's classmate. Toko wanted you to stop her." Komaru replied.

"Uh? But…I'm pretty sure that's a woman. I ain't into killin' girls, I don't swing that way…"

"That's good, because you mustn't kill her. She's my friend, but…she's not in her normal state. You just have to help Tokaku neutralising her."

"Well, I'm usually not the type to pacifically take care of people, but I may do an exception, if it's what Dekomaru wants…"

"Yes, please, do as she says." Komaru replied.

Genocider grinned madly, before she took out her scissors and went helping Tokaku to fight Sumireko.

"So, what's your idea?" Komaru asked.

"The weapon's name…don't you find it odd?" Haru said.

"Uh? You mean  _SHSL Cyborg_?"

"No, the other name. I find it quite weird."

"But…it's an unofficial name, it shouldn't have any meaning…right?"

"No, that's wrong. Even if it's an unofficial name, it's still coming from those who create this… _weapon_."

"The Despairful Anti-Despair Tracking Machine of Destruction…now that I think about it, it's indeed contradictory. How something can be both despairful and anti-despair? And it's a tracking machine of destruction…for what?"

Haru thought about it. She understood how the weapon could be both despairful and anti-despair. It meant that the weapon, which is Sumireko, had most likely fall into despair, but she was used to fight against other despairs. And she was a tracking machine of destruction because she was used to track and eliminated those who were despairful, most likely the SHSL Despairs. Sumireko's despair must be used as some kind of power source to track other despairs and destroyed them. This thought was even more despair-inducing for Haru. To see her classmate be used as a mere weapon, that her despair was used like that, it was so despairful…

This is when Haru finally understood what was going on. Sumireko must have sense the despair Haru was felling, hence she tried to eliminate her, which explained the words she said before. So in order to stop the cyborg, Haru must fight against her own despair.

For that, she must view the situation in an optimistic way. Yes it was sad to see Sumireko in that state, but at least she was still alive. As long as there is life, there is hope. She shouldn't have feel despair to learn that someone she thought was dead was in fact still alive. Because if one of her classmate had in fact survive, there'd nothing that say that other classmates don't have survive too. This thought alone gave some faith to Haru, she even began to feel hopeful again about the future.

"Tokaku, Fukawa-san, you can stop now. She shouldn't be a threat anymore." Haru said confidently.

"What? Are you out of your mind!? She will try to kill you!" Tokaku replied.

"Please trust me Tokaku, she won't anymore. You need to have faith in me.

With some hesitation, the blue haired girl reluctantly let Sumireko go, which Genocider also did. As soon as they stopped fighting her, the cyborg rushed once again towards Haru.

"Haru!" Tokaku shouted.

"Stay where you are! I forbid you from moving!" Haru ordered.

Not having any choice when she received a command from her queen, the blue haired girl remained where she was. Komaru was firmly holding her weapon like she could shot at any time if Sumireko was still a menace, but she didn't seem to be about to shoot unless it was necessary.

When she was about to reach Haru, the cyborg abruptly stopped and remained in front of her. She gazed at Haru with a confused look.

"Despair not detected. Not a target for elimination." Sumireko said.

The cyborg began to look around, like she was searching for a despair to destroy. The light in her eyes were still red. Haru understood that it would take more than overcoming her own despair to make Sumireko quit her Elimination Mode.

"Komaru-san, give me the strap please." Haru asked.

Naegi's sister gave her the strap. Haru had understood that Sumireko was now acting like a robot due to her cybernation. But she was still a human, at least partially. So maybe if Haru managed to bring her humanity back, Sumireko will awake from her robotic state.

"Hanabusa-san, do you remember this? You're the one who made it, it was a way for you to show your love for Mahiru-san. I'm the one who gave you this idea." Haru softly said.

The cyborg glanced at her with a curious look, but she didn't seem to understand what she was saying.

"You remember Mahiru-san, right? And Shinya-san too? You…you were in love with them. But unfortunately, they…died. You can't have forgotten about that!"

Sumireko continued to look at her with a confused expression.

"What about our promise? You mentioned it before you di…, I mean, when I thought you died. I finally remember what it was. It was right after I defeated you for the first time. I made you fall from Myojo Academy's roof, but you still managed to survive. You gave up the title of SHSL Survivor and left it to me. But it wasn't just that. You promised that you'll change, that you weren't interest in being a queen anymore. You renounced to kill me and wanted to take cooking lessons. Do you remember all of that? It was all because of Mahiru-san, you can't forget about her!"

The cyborg continued to look emotionless, but Haru thought that she saw her expression becoming softer. She then stretched her hand that was holding the strap.

"Take it. It was yours after all." Haru said.

With some hesitation, Sumireko stretched her robotic arm. She slightly touched the strap with her fingers, before grabbing it. She gazed at with intensely, before some tears began to fall on her cheeks.

"Banba…san?" the cyborg mumbled.

As her tears continued to roll, Sumireko's eyes switch color. The lights were now blue.

"Mahiru-san…Shinya-san..."

Sumireko fell on her knees, firmly holding the strap she had made for Banba, before she burst in tears. Haru couldn't help herself from comforting her crying classmate. She went to Sumireko and took her in her arms. Haru noticed that the cyborg had some kind of metallic rope that was tracing all her back vertically, connecting her robotic legs to her neck. She then remembered that the spears had broken Sumireko's spine.

"Don't worry, Hanabusa-san, everything will be alright. Thanks to you I managed to escape from Myojo, and Monokuma…the person who was controlling him, Enoshima Junko, she dead. All our classmates have been avenged."

The others suddenly approached them.

"So, is the mission over? I'm kind of lost…" Toko said, who was back to her original personality.

"I guess? She doesn't seem to be a threat anymore." Komaru replied.

"Well, our mission was to retrieve the anti-despair weapon, which we did…kind of." Tokaku added.

Haru suddenly glanced at the blue haired girl before she replied.

"No, you're wrong. We didn't retrieve a weapon. We found back our classmate and friend."

* * *

It had been weeks since Haru and Tokaku brought back Sumireko to Future Foundation. Naegi was happy to learn that his little sister was doing fine with Toko at Towa City. As for the cyborg, after a medical examination, she eventually integrated the 6th Division under the leadership of Sakakura Juzo.

From the examination, they learned that Sumireko was not only a cyborg since part of her brain was now robotic. She was now partially a robot. She had a chip in her brain that had as function to use her feeling of despair in order to detect despair around her. When someone who felt an intense despair is near her, the robotic part of Sumireko's brain will take control of her and she'll enter in Elimination Mode, where she will act as a tracking machine dedicated to track and exterminate despair. It also allowed her to detect despair-inducing machines such as the Monokumas.

Unfortunately, the cyborg wasn't detecting only those who were despair lovers like the SHSL Despairs and the Remnants of Despair. Anyone who was in despair, even an innocent person who was only feeling despair because they were in a desperate situation and fearing for their life was a target of elimination for Sumireko. This is why, during her missions, the cyborg was only send in place where there was only SHSL Despairs and no civilians arounds, to avoid any casualty. Haru thought that it must be so despairful for Sumireko to be forced to kill others without any control on her own body, especially innocent people by accident. She sincerely hoped that Future Foundation will make sure it won't happen and eventually corrected the chip in her brain to avoid this kind of incidents.

But still, Haru wondered how Sumireko got in Towa City in the first place. The last time she saw her she was about to fall to her death in Myojo Academy. Could it be the mastermind who sent her to Towa City, and in what purpose? Haru couldn't understand why someone who was on the side of despair would allow someone to be transformed in an anti-despair weapon.

"What do you think will happen to them?" Haru asked.

"Well, given the gravity of their crimes, they will most likely be executed." Tokaku replied.

Recently, the most prominent members of the SHSL Despair, those who were known as the Remnants of Despair after Junko's death, had been captured by Future Foundation. They were currently detained in a high security prison while waiting for their trial for their crimes against humanity. Haru and Tokaku had been asked to go check on them to be sure they weren't trying something reckless. Even if they were mass-murderers, Haru wondered if it was really the right thing to execute them. She couldn't help herself from feeling bad for them somehow. Maybe there was a reason why they fell into despairs that wasn't entirely their fault.

"So they really are going to be killed uh…" Haru mumbled.

"They are a threat for the world. After all they done, can we really call them humans? We faced some of them before, we both know that they are true monsters."

"I know, but…even so, to go as far as executing them, I'm not sure if it's the…"

Tokaku suddenly stopped her and made a sign to Haru to hush. They were both arrived at the prison, but to their surprised, the cells were all opened and empty.

"The remnants…they escaped?" Haru whispered, worried.

"I don't think so, the cells' doors didn't seem to have been broken of forced open. No, someone must have deliberately set them free. That door over there is ajar, whoever who had sneak inside to free them must have escape by there. Let's go catch them!"

Haru acquiesced and they both went to pass the door. They arrived outside and discovered what seemed to be a cargo on the water, ready to sail. There were three people who were pushing litters where lying unconscious people, who were the Remnants of Despair.

"Just as I thought…only Future Foundation's members could have sneak inside a high security prison without being discovered." Tokaku said.

"Wait, I can explain…it's not what you think!" Naegi tried to explain.

The three people were Naegi, Kirigiri and Byakuya. They let go of the litters and turned back towards Haru and Tokaku. Naegi looked quite nervous, while the detective and Togami were perfectly calm.

"You mustn't have heard the recent orders. We were asked by Munakata to move the prisoners to another location." Byakuya explained with a certain annoyance in is voice.

"Liar! We were asked by Munakata himself to go check on the remnants. Where are you taking them?!" Tokaku replied with hostility.

"Please, Azuma-san, Ichinose-san, don't go tell him!" Naegi pleaded.

"Why should we don't? You're clearly disobeying him, it's even an act if treason against Future Foundation! You must be part of their group, you're SHSL Despairs too!" the blue haired girl accused.

"No, that's wrong! We…we are doing this for hope! Those people, they are not the enemies. They are victims of Enoshima Junko, she corrupted them! All we want is to undone the damage she done and save them from despair. They were students just like us, it's the despair who changed them, but it's not too late for them, I'm sure of it. Because I've hope in them!" Naegi declared. "

Tokaku didn't reply anything to him and looked at Haru, like she waiting for her queen to give her an order. Haru approached from them and stood in front of Naegi.

"Makoto-kun, what's your plan exactly?" Haru asked.

"We…we are going to erase their memories about being SHSL Despairs, and replaced them with new ones, and hopefully they might recovered from their despairful state."

"Isn't it the same as Enoshima did to you? Erasing their memories? Really?" Tokaku commented.

"Our intention is different. It's to help them, not hurt them." Kirigiri replied.

"Fine. You can go. I won't tell Munakata-san, or anyone else."

"Haru! Are you sure about that?" Tokaku said with some concern in her voice.

"No, but I choose to have faith in Makoto-kun, and Kyouko-san and Togami-kun too. I don't think that after what they went through, they'll be on the side of despair. I'm sure they really doing this for the sake of hope. This is why I'll trust them, I've faith in what they believe to be hope. And if they can deal with de remnants without shedding any more blood, than isn't the best outcome for everyone?"

Tokaku looked at her with some hesitation, before she sighed with resignation. Naegi thanked Haru and the three of them brought the unconscious remnants in the boat and left in the sea.

"What are we going to tell Munakata?" the blue haired asked.

"I'm…not sure. For now let's just say they were still in their cell and buy Makoto-kun and the others some time. We'll let those who will check them after us discover their disappearance and if we are interrogate, we'll pretend their escape happened after we went to check them."

They both began to head towards the building, both of them clearly worried and nervous about how things will be going for them and for Naegi.

"I hope you took the right decision." Tokaku said.

"Yeah, I hope too…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it seems that Sumireko joined Future Foundation too! Haru is right to have faith in finding other survivors. So, when is she going to meet them? And what would be the consequences of helping Naegi to save the Remnants of Despair? You'll see...eventually.
> 
> After this chapter the real story will begin, those five chapters were more to show how Haru and Tokaku could fit in the DR universe and the already existing media like the games and the animes. The next ones will be a continuity of Akuma no Ronpa, about those things who are still left unexplained and bring a conclusion to the story.
> 
> When I'll have finish this story I've plan to continue one of my other DR fanfic, the Amnesic Despair. Don't hesitate to go check it if you are interested! See you soon for chapter 6!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Major spoilers for the anime Danganronpa 3.

"Tokaku…we have to go! Otherwise, he…Makoto-kun, he might be executed!" Haru said as she was about to leave her room.

"Haru, wait!" the blue haired girl replied as she grabbed her lover's hand. "We don't know yet. He's only on trial for now…"

"For now! But what if he's accused of treason? He'll surely be executed! We have to stop this! He needs our help, we need to go save him…"

Recently, the fact that Naegi freed the Remnants of Despair and protected them was discovered by Future Foundation and he was arrested and charged with the crime of treason. He was currently attending his trial with Kirigiri and Asahina at the Future Foundation headquarters.

"We can't do anything for him. What is happening is the result of his own choices and he has to deal with the consequences alone. We barely managed to avoid being accused of being accomplices, if we go to this trial we would only look suspicious."

"No, you're wrong! It wasn't only his choice, I…also made a choice, I chose to let him go with the remnants. I'm also responsible for this, so I can't leave him on his own, I have to…"

"Haru! It's not your fault! All you did was to buy Naegi some time, so you don't have to feel guilty about this. And he's not alone. Kirigiri and Asahina are with him, they have his back. You should have faith in, him, in them, and in the Future Foundation's leaders. There's nothing we can do for him now. We aren't even invited to the trial, we can't just show up. And how could we get there? The only way to go there is by helicopter, and neither of us knows how to drive one. All we can do for now is…to have faith in them. Isn't it what you are good for? Having faith in people?"

"Yes, but…"

"I know you can force me to let you go there. I know you could sneak inside one of those helicopters and go there anyway. I know you could, but I also know you wouldn't do it. You want to know why I'm sure of it? Because I've faith in you. I trust you enough to know that you wouldn't abuse of your power, especially not on me. So please, let it go. Let Naegi deals with his problems and have faith in him and his friends. It's the best thing to do."

Haru hesitated for few seconds. She knew she could leave, and even if Tokaku tried to stop her, she could command her to let her go. But she wouldn't do such a thing. She loved Tokaku, she didn't want to use her power on her only for her selfish desire. Haru had promise herself that she would only use her ability to protect others. And she knew that whatever she did, Naegi's fate wasn't in her hands. All she could do was to have faith and hoped that everything would end up well at his trial. She closed her room's door and looked at Tokaku in the eyes.

"You're right. It doesn't concern me. I know Kyouko-san and Aoi-san wouldn't let him get executed, I've faith that they will do everything they could to protect him. And like you said, it's only his trial. But if he's declared guilty and condemned to execution, I won't let that happen. I'll do everything I can to save him. Because I'm his friend too."

"I know. I won't stop you if it's the case. But for now, have faith that you won't have to do this."

Haru nodded in agreement and they both shared a tender kiss on their lips.

* * *

Haru was wandering in Hope's Peak Academy's hallways. It was in this school that everything began, but also where a new beginning was about to happen. Haru couldn't help herself from thinking about how her life would have been if the Tragedy never happened. She would have become the SHSL Survivor and attend Hope's Peak with all her classmates. They would all still be alive, and the world wouldn't have fallen into despair. This thought alone saddened Haru. She suddenly felt a hand grabbing hers. It was Tokaku, who was by her side. Her girlfriend now had shoulder-length hair since she let them grow (to Haru's pleasure) and they were both wearing their previous school uniform since Future Foundation was disbanded.

"Haru-chan, Azuma-san!"

It was Asahina who called them. The tanned girl was waving her hand at them with a cheerful expression.

"Thanks again for your help today. It was really helpful." the former SHSL Swimmer told them.

"It was nothing. We are glad we could help. Restoring an entire school is far from being an easy work after all." Haru replied.

After the terrible killing game that happen between the Future Foundation's leaders, the world was slowly recovering from the despair they underwent. To help spread hope, Naegi had decided to reopen Hope's Peak Academy and he became the new headmaster.

"Ah, Azuma-san, would you mind helping us with fixing the gymnasium? Extra muscles are always welcome." Aoi asked.

"I…hum…" Tokaku mumbled before she looked at Haru.

"It's ok, you can go. I still have things to do, on my own." the red-pinkish haired girl said.

With some hesitation, Tokaku finally accepted and followed Asahina. Now alone, Haru headed to the headmaster's office. Naegi was inside, working with some paperwork.

"Can I come in, or are you too busy?"

"Ah, Ichinose-san! Of course you can come in, don't worry about the paperwork. I can always finish this later." the young man replied with a friendly smile.

Haru went inside and took place on a chair in front of Naegi. There was something she needed to confess to him, something she was deeply regretting.

"You seem tormented by something…is something wrong? Do you think that…I'm doing a mistake?" Naegi asked, worried.

"No! You…you're doing nothing wrong, it's…it's me who did something wrong."

"What are you talking about? I can't conceive that you could have done something wrong."

"But I did! The truth is, when you were about to go on trial, I…I intended to be there too. But I changed my mind because I thought that I couldn't do anything for you, and I hoped that everything would be fine but…it wasn't the case. You and all the Future Foundation's leader got caught up in another twisted killing game and they almost all died. If only I was there, maybe I could have done something to stop this. After all, I let you leave with the remnants, I'm also partially responsible for your trial…bad things always happen when I have hope…"

As she was slowly feeling more and more desperate, Naegi softly grabbed her hand and smile kindly to her.

"Ichinose-san, don't worry over this. About the Remnants of Despair, I don't regret what I've done. I still think that it was the right thing to do, even if it had…unfortunate consequences. The world is slowly recovering from the Tragedy, this is on what we should all focus. You don't have to torment ourselves with things that happened in the past, we should live in the present and work for a better future."

"But, if I had been there, I could have used my ability to stop the killings…" Haru tried to argue.

"Or you could have been one of those who saw the suicide video and die." Naegi interrupted. "There's too many "if" possibilities. We could never know how it would have end if you were there, and it serves no purpose to think about it. We can't change the past, but we can learn from it to build a better future. But not if the past hold you down. You need to accept the past and learn from it, so you could enjoy the present and have hope in the future. You told us something similar when you rescued us after our killing game. That since we were alive, we had to live for those who died and make sure that no one suffers the same fate as them. This is why you joined Future Foundation, this is why I joined it too. Even if it disbanded now, I didn't stop trying to spread hope. I'll never stop."

"You…you really are the SHSL Hope uh…" Haru said with a slight smile. "You even make me believe that I can have hope, when all that I have is faith."

"You are a hopeful person, I know it. Unfortunately you went through a lot of despair every time you hoped, but it's not a reason to give up on hope. Give hope another chance, the world is finally recovering from despair, you have nothing to fear now."

"Yes, you're right. There's no reason why something bad would happen. All the SHSL Despairs are either defeated or reformed. I think that I can allow myself to hope again…"

Haru suddenly remembered something that she had forgotten, something that was important.

"Oh no, how can I forget about this. The chairwoman…I still didn't find her…" Haru mumbled.

"What…are you talking about? The chairwoman?" Naegi asked, confused.

"The one who claimed to be behind our killing game, I still haven't found her! I still don't know why she said that, even though Enoshima Junko was probably the one responsible!"

"I-Ichinose-san, calm down! You can still try to find her. And nothing says that she has bad intentions, you need to have hope in this."

"You…yes. I…don't think Yuri-san is a SHSL Despair. I'm sure she had good reasons to pretend to be the mastermind, because I have faith in her…no, because I hope so!"

Suddenly, someone went inside the headmaster's office.

"There you are. Naegi-kun, Ichinose-san, you need to come with me. Togami-kun has something…quite disturbing, to show to all of us." Kirigiri said.

* * *

Everyone gathered inside the computer lab. They were all looking at a black screen, waiting to see what it was all about.

"Someone sent this video to the Future Foundation headquarter. I managed to have it, even if the building was destroyed." Byakuya explained.

"What is this about? You saw it, don't you? What is on that video?" Naegi asked.

"It…I think it will be better if you saw by yourself."

The former SHSL Heir turned on the video. Someone appeared on the screen. Haru was shocked by their appearance, or rather, by their clothing.

"That uniform…it's Myojo's school uniform!" Haru exclaimed.

"More importantly, this person is wearing a Monokuma's mask." Kirigiri commented.

"You have seen nothing yet…just keep quiet and listen." Byakuya told them.

Suddenly, the person in the video started talking.

_"Dear Future Foundation's members, or should I say dear former members? Well, it doesn't really matter. Even if your organisation is disbanded, I know you'll see this video. You must be enjoying the peace you managed to get, right? The world is slowly recovering from despair, you must be quite happy about this. Would it be so despairful for the world to fall once again in despair? You may have defeated the SHSL Despair, but not the SMSL Despair. Enjoy the small peace you have now, because it won't last long. As the SMSL Despair, I'll continue what my predecessor started and make the world fall into despair again. Ah, it would be so despair-inducing, after all you did to spread hope…that disgusting hope you are all so fond of. When I succeeds, I won't be just the SMSL Despair. I'll because the new SHSL Despair, me, the last Remnants of Despair, the Last Despair. So enjoy your hope, because you won't have it for long. I'll free you from it and bring back the wonderful despair you all need. Farewell, try to stop me if you can. But I'm warning you. Beating me won't be as easy as beating Enoshima Junko. Upupu…"_

The video ended there. Everyone remained silent for a moment, probably too shocked by what they had seen.

"That voice, that laugh…it was Monokuma!?" Asahina exclaimed, confused. "But I thought that…Enoshima Junko was dead."

"This person isn't her. It's most likely just one of her followers, a remnant we failed to catch." Togami replied. "Ichinose-san, you said that this person was wearing Myojo Academy's school uniform, right?"

"Uh, yes…why?" Haru asked.

"Because this is where the video came from. Whoever sent it did it from Myojo Academy." Byakuya revealed.

Words couldn't describe what Haru was feeling. She was utterly shocked by what she learned.

"But…there's no one there. There shouldn't be. Other than Tokaku, Hanabusa-san and myself, there's nobody from Myojo who's alive…" Haru said.

"Except the chairwoman." Tokaku replied. "Until proven otherwise, she's still alive. And she claimed to be the mastermind behind our killing game. She must be an SHSL Despair, I always say so! Since the beginning she has been an ally of Enoshima!"

"Wait, this person called themselves SMSL Despair. I assume that it must be a middle schooler, and if I remember correctly, SMSL was the title given to the Class Black's students." Kirigiri commented.

"So you think that it's…one of our classmates!? But I already told you, only three of us survived and neither of us can be this person!" Haru protested.

"But when we met after you rescued us, you told us that only two survived. But you discovered that there was a third survivor. Why couldn't you think that they might have a fourth survivor as well?" the detective asked.

Haru found nothing to reply. When she discovered that Sumireko was alive, she hoped that she might discover that others had survived too. But now that she knew that this other possible survivor might be this SMSL Despair, she wasn't sure what to hope for. It would be so despairful to discover that someone you thought was dead was not only alive but also responsible for the death of those you cared about.

"I know who it is. Only she could be this twisted freak. She always been a Myojo's student after all, so she must work for the chairwoman." Tokaku said.

"You mean…you think it's her?" Haru asked.

"Who else could it be other than that trash? Hashiri, she must have survived somehow…"

"But you killed her! You stabbed her in the heart…"

"I also shot you in the heart but you're still alive…"

"That's because of my titanium ribs!"

"What? You tried to kill her? Titanium ribs?" Naegi asked, confused.

"Long story. The point is, it looks like I suck at killing people, so there might be a chance that she's still alive and a SHSL Despair."

"How can you be bad at killing, weren't you the SMSL Assassin?" Kirigiri asked.

"Why do you think I'm now the SHSL Bodyguard?" Tokaku replied. "Anyway, Hashiri must be this SMSL Despair. There's no one else who could be."

"I agree." a feminine voice suddenly said.

Haru turned back when she recognised the voice.

"Hanabusa-san!" she exclaimed.

Sumireko was wearing a black tank top that was showing her belly, as well as her scars on it, under a brown short-sleeve jacket. Haru noticed that she was wearing the strap she made for Mahiru as a neckless.

"What are you doing here?" Tokaku asked.

"I was with Togami-san when we discovered the video." the cyborg replied. "So, what are we waiting for? It's time for us to go back to our old school, and pay a visit to our classmate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, now that Naegi and his class, as well as Hope's Peak had their conclusion, it's time for Haru and her class, and Myojo, to have their own.
> 
> Bad things always happen when Haru hopes. So despair-inducing. Be ready for next chapters, because there's a lot of despair that await you!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Spoiler for the game Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

The helicopter was currently flying, with on board Haru, Tokaku and Sumireko. The cyborg was the one piloting the vehicle, and the three killing game's survivors were heading towards the place where they apparently lost all their other classmates: Myojo Academy.

When they finally reached their destination, Hanabusa landed the helicopter on the school's roof, where there was a landing strip. The three classmates left the helicopter and walked on the rooftop. Tokaku's hair was now tied up in a small ponytail near her neck.

"So, how do we get in? This place is a shelter, no one can enter or exit." Tokaku said. "The door I used to escape with Haru is now locked again…"

"There's one door that couldn't have been barricaded, and it's the one of the rooftop." Sumireko began to explain. "The chairwoman must have omitted it, to have an emergency exit I suppose. But since the top floor is only accessible with the elevator, we couldn't have escape by there. After all, at that time, only Monokuma could control the elevator."

They quickly found the door, but when Sumireko tried to open it, Haru stopped her.

"Are you sure it's a good idea? The SMSL Despair is in there. Maybe we should have brought more people…"

"Ichinose-san, I'm sure. With a high-tech combat cyborg, the heir of the Azuma clan and the Queen Bee, we are well enough to deal with that creep." Hanabusa replied.

The three classmates finally went inside and ended up in an empty floor. Haru tried to look for stairs, but she didn't find any. But she did spot an elevator's door. It looked like Sumireko was telling the truth.

"If we couldn't use the elevator to come here, how are we gonna use it to go down?" Tokaku asked.

"We're about to find out." Sumireko simply replied.

The cyborg approached the elevator and pressed the single button. To their surprise, the door opened.

"Well, it seems we can use it from here." Hanabusa said. "Let's go."

They went inside the elevator and the door closed behind them. Sumireko pressed on the button that would lead them to the floor were their killing game had happened.

"So…Hanabusa-san, there was something I wondered since a long time and which I didn't have the chance to ask you about. How did you…manage to survive and escape from here?" Haru asked.

"I survived because I landed on my robotic legs. I didn't mean to, but my survival instinct was too strong. Of course, it broke them. My spinal being broken, I couldn't land properly. But it still saved my life. I then found the strap I had made for…Banba-san, which I suppose was because of you…"

"Yes." Haru replied.

"Figured. Well, after that I lost consciousness and woke up in a hospital room in Towa City. I don't know how I ended up there and how I escaped from Myojo, but I supposed someone saved me. Anyway, when I woke up there, I met a little girl. Her name was…Towa Monaca."

"I know that name. That girl, she was an ally of Enoshima, right?" Tokaku asked.

"Maybe, but I didn't know at that time. She offered me to fix my cybernetic limbs and to make me stronger, and I accepted. She made me the cyborg I'm now. She was working for Towa Group, which was specialised in creating anti-despair weapon. So she made me one, and I was used as a weapon to fight the SHSL Despairs and other despairful machines. I've killed so many people, and not only despair lovers, innocent people too…But worry not. The chip in my brain had been fixed. Even if I detect despair, I won't enter the Elimination Mode against my will. But if I choose to enter it, then I'll lose control of myself. And if the despair I detect is too strong, it would be hard for me to control myself."

Haru could hear the despair in Sumireko's voice. It must have been so despairful for the cyborg to not only have lost the girl she loved, but to have been used as a killing weapon.

"Why did you accept such a thing?" Tokaku asked.

"Because…I've lost everything that I cared about. I had nothing left, so at least what remained of me could be used to destroy what caused Banba-san's death: The SHSL Despair. It was for revenge, and didn't care about what would happen to me, not after all that happened…"

"But your eyes…why are they both artificial? If I remember correctly, you only lose one, during your…execution. And it was the right one. So why do you have a scar on your left eye?" Haru asked.

"Because…the robotic eye Monaca gave me allow me to have a superhuman vision, but my organic eye…diminished the effect. So I took a scalpel and poked my eye out, which left me a scar."

"You…you mutilated yourself in order to have another robotic eye!?" Haru exclaimed.

"And it's not the first time I'd done such a thing. My limbs, my arms and legs, I did get injured severely when I was a child, but…it's not the reason why I lost them. They could have been healed with times, but I refused to let that happened. Those weak limbs…and asked the doctor to cut them and I replaced them with cybernetic ones."

"That's insane!" Haru shouted. "Why would you do such a thing?!"

"To be more powerful. I'm…kind of…power hungry. I was in a struggle for power, my life was always targeted, I needed to be stronger, not matter the cost. I wanted to become…the strongest. Even if I had to sacrifice parts of me to achieve it."

The elevator's door suddenly opened. Haru felt nauseous when she recognised the place where she and her classmates were forced to kill each other. With some hesitation, they exited the elevator, before wandering in the place where they lost so many of their friends.

"So, where that trash…she sent the video from here, so she must be around." Tokaku said.

"Now that I had time to think about it, I'm not sure anymore that Hashiri-san is indeed the SMSL Despair we're looking for." Sumireko revealed.

"And why's that? Hashiri was the traitor, she admitted herself. And she's exactly the type of person who could do such a thing!"

"Maybe she was lying. You also mentioned the chairwoman, but I highly doubt she had anything to do with this. I know Yuri-sensei, she's not the type of person to do this kind of things. She must have a reason to pretend to be the mastermind, and Hashiri-san must have followed her lead and pretend to be the SMSL Despair. Yuri-sensei would never associate herself with people like the SHSL Despair."

"You may be right about the chairwoman, but nothing proves that Hashiri isn't an ally of Enoshima…" Tokaku argued back.

"In fact, yes I've a proof. Just like you, Hashiri-san is a worker bee, and Yuri-sensei is her queen. So it's impossible for her to have disobeyed to her queen, and if Yuri-sensei would have never associated herself with Enoshima Junko, then so is Hashiri-san."

"Then if she isn't the SMSL Despair, who else could it be!? Everybody else is dead! We either saw their corpses and confirmed their death or they died in a way that they couldn't have possibly survived."

"Are you sure? I'm pretty sure you forgets someone…" Sumireko replied.

Tokaku looked at her with a confused expression. She didn't seem to have found who she was referring to. Haru tried to think about it and remembered that there as indeed someone else whose death wasn't confirmed. But she couldn't believe that this person was the SMSL Despair.

"No, it must be wrong…she…she wanted to protect us so hard, she was strongly believing in hope, she was so desperate to find the traitor, I can't believe she could have been on the side of despair!" Haru protested.

"I see that you guessed right. Indeed, Kenmochi-san's death was never confirmed." Sumireko said.

"Kenmochi? But I thought that you killed her…" Tokaku replied. "That's what I assumed when she disappeared after you had knocked out both of us."

"No, I didn't kill her. I…couldn't. I had nothing against her, I'm not the kind of person who kills without a reason. So I spared her life and she ran away somewhere."

"So she could still be alive!" Haru exclaimed, hopeful.

"Indeed, but if it's the case, then there's a high probability that she may be the SMSL Despair."

"That ridiculous, there's no way that Kenmochi is that type of person. I would have noticed it if it was the case. She didn't smell like someone who had or could kill. I'll stick to my idea, that Hashiri is the SMSL Despair and that the chairwoman is related to the Tragedy."

Tokaku and Sumireko gazed at each other with hostility. It seemed that they wouldn't agree about who was behind all of this.

"Tokaku, Hanabusa-san, stop! We shouldn't fight between classmates, not after…all we have been through. Whoever is right, it's not by arguing that we'll find the truth. We need to search this place to find out who the SMSL Despair is and stop them."

"You're right. I suggest that we split up to cover more ground." Sumireko proposed.

"Out of the question! I won't let Haru alone…"

"It's ok, Tokaku. I can take care of myself. And if I'm in danger, you'll feel it."

Reluctantly, the blue haired girl finally accepted, but only if they remained on the same floor. The three classmates began to search for the SMSL Despair.

* * *

Haru arrived in front of the sitting room's door. She recalled all the things that happened there, like the discovery of Hitsugi's corpse, when Shiena locked herself in it, and their class meetings there. She also remembered the moment spent there before the Tragedy, which only made her sadder.

Carefully, she opened the door and went inside. There was a lot of trashed on the floor, most of them were empty potato chips' bags. She then noticed that there was someone lying on the couch, apparently asleep. Despite her neglected appearance, Haru immediately recognised her.

"Sh…Shiena-chan!?"

Haru rushed towards her friend, as the brunette suddenly jolted, like she had been woken up abruptly.

"I…Ichinose?!" she said as she sat.

Shiena wasn't wearing her glasses and was wearing her pajama. Her hair was slightly longer and awfully messy, covering the left side of her, which was hiding the eye she had lost. She also had a bandage on her right cheek.

"You…you are alive…Shiena-chan!"

Haru couldn't help herself from hugging the brunette, too happy to discover that she wasn't dead. Shiena responded by hugging her back.

"Ichinose-san, have you found som…Kenmochi-san!?"

Haru broke the hug and turned back, to discover Sumireko in the doorframe. The cyborg's left eye suddenly became red. Hanabusa let out a moan of pain as she grabbed her head like she had a sudden headache.

"Hanabusa-san, don't!" Haru said, fearing the worst.

"It's…it's too strong. The despair…I can't control myself…I've to go!"

After she had said that, Sumireko ran away from the sitting room. Haru turned back to Shiena, who was looking at her with confusion.

"What happened to her?" the brunette asked.

"She…was transformed into an anti-despair weapon. She must have felt the despair in you."

"The despair…in me?"

"Yes. Well, it's understandable, after all you went through. It's normal that you felt into despair after all you underwent. But you don't have to feel this way anymore. The SHSL Despair had been defeated, and the world is slowly recovering from the Tragedy."

Haru softly smiled and gently grabbed Shiena's hand.

"Ichinose…I thought that everyone except me had died…I've been locked here for so long, alone, desperate…I'm so glad to see that you are still alive."

"You aren't alone. Tokaku also survived, and as you saw, so is Hanabusa-san. We'll get you out of here…wait, you are alone here? Are you sure?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because we received a transmission from Myojo, a video from someone who called themselves the SMSL Despair."

Shiena suddenly gazed at her with a gloomy expression.

"SMSL…Despair? The person I read about in the USB keys…are you sure about that?" the brunette asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. Why? Do you know anything?"

"We can say so. Even after the killing game ended, I continued to investigate about that. And I found something quite disturbing about them."

"What it is?"

"It's better if I show you."

Shiena pointed her laptop that was on the coffee table. She made Haru sat in front and turned it on. She then put a hand on Haru's shoulder and softly stroked her hair. Even if she found that sudden physical contact kind of weird, Haru didn't complain. Shiena had been alone for a long time, so it might be normal that she was looking for some human contacts.

"What am I supposed to look at?" Haru asked.

"It's a video. When you see it, you won't have any question anymore."

Suddenly, a strange video started. The first thing Haru saw on it was Monokuma, and some weird sound effect that made her kind of dizzy.

The door suddenly opened. Someone went inside the sitting room.

"Haru! Stay away from her!" Tokaku's voice exclaimed worriedly. "She's…"

But Haru couldn't hear her anymore. All she could hear and see was the strange video Shiena was showing her, and then everything became black around her. She then heard a voice calling her in the dark. Haru looked around and discovered with shock who it was.

"No…it can't be possible…Kaminaga-san!?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is happening!? You'll see in the next chapter! ^^
> 
> About Sumireko's cybernetic limbs, it was confirmed in the last Koakuma no Riddle that she never lost them, that she in fact asked to be amputed to have robotic limbs, something that I suspected for a while (like Haru's hair to not be pigtails...xD)


	8. Chapter 8

You let Haru alone with her!?" Tokaku fulminated.

The blue haired girl was currently rushing towards the sitting room, followed by Sumireko.

"I had no choice!" the cyborg defended herself. "I was about to go in my Elimination Mode. If I would have killed Kenmochi-san right in front of Ichinose-san, she would have felt a lot of despair and I would probably have killed her too."

When Tokaku was searching in the gymnasium, Hanabusa had joined her, to inform her that she found Shiena and that she was most likely the SMSL Despair. The blue haired girl was still skeptical about that though.

"Are you sure she's a SHSL Despair? Kenmochi doesn't strike me as the type of person who would be like that…Maybe she's just despairful because she spent so much time lock up here alone…"

"I know the difference between a SHSL Despair and someone who is temporarily in despair, not that it matter for my chip anyway, both will make me enter the Elimination Mode. I'm sure that Kenmochi-san is a remnant, and most likely the SMSL Despair we are looking for. Just like I said earlier. "

Tokaku was still not sure if she could believe such a thing. Shiena, being a SHSL Despair? That sounded totally ridiculous! But since Haru's life might be in danger, she gave Sumireko the benefit of the doubt. Even though she still continued to think that Nio was the real SMSL Despair.

"….argh…."

The blue haired girl stopped running when she heard the cyborg uttered a slight painful groan. She turned back, to discover that Sumireko's left eye had turned red.

"The despair…it's too strong! If I go any closer, I won't be able to control myself anymore. You need to hurry up and take care of that! I will stay here and guard the door, if Kenmochi-san tried to escape I will take care of her. Just make sure that Ichinose-san is not near, otherwise…you will have to protect her from me."

"Tss, as if I would have done otherwise."

Tokaku continued to run and finally arrived in the sitting room. She was surprised to discover that Shiena was indeed there, with Haru. Her girlfriend was currently sitting on a chair, looking at something on a laptop, while the brunette was….stroking her, like she was some kind of pet. Both were showing their backs to her and Tokaku couldn't see what was on the laptop screen.

The blue haired girl suddenly smelt something rotten, and this scent was coming from none other than Shiena! This is when she finally understood that Sumireko might be right. Tokaku would never doubt her own nose, and the brunette stank of nastiness.

"Haru! Stay away from her!" Tokaku exclaimed worriedly. "She's…she's a Remnant of Despair!"

But Haru didn't seem to be able to hear her. She then suddenly heard her lover mumbled something.

"No…it can't be possible…Kaminaga-san!?" Haru said with shock.

"Uh? Kaminaga? Oy, Kenmochi, you bastard, what are you showing her!?"

Slowly, Shiena turned back to face her. At first, the brunette seemed to same that before, which kind of made Tokaku doubted for a moment that she was really a SHSL Despair.

But then, in a split-second, Shiena's expression changed. She smiled in the most vile and wicked way Tokaku had never saw before, it was even more disturbing than Nio's grin. The blue haired girl was far from being an easily scared people, but the hacker's grin gave her some shivers. And her eye, pure madness could be saw in them, as well as…despair.

"Oh, that's not true, Azuma. I'm no mere remnant, I'm the SMSL Despair, as well as the new SHSL Despair!" Shiena replied before she giggled in an insane way.

Tokaku took out her knife, ready to attack. But before she could do anything, Shiena pulled out a pair of scissors and put them under Haru's throat.

"Nuh-uh, you can't do that. Otherwise, I'm afraid that your dear Ichinose will have her throat slice open." Shiena warned with a sudden serious and cold expression.

Tokaku clenched her fists in frustration. She felt so helpless right now. Haru's life was in danger, and her life was in the hands of someone who was unpredictably dangerous. But surprisingly, she wasn't despairful, just angry and worried. The blue haired girl then noticed that the scissor Shiena was holding were Otoya's one. She then noticed some marks on the brunette's arms that looked like cuts.

"Those marks…they are scars. How did you get them?" Tokaku asked.

"Ah? Oh, those? It's no big deal, it was just a way for me to remind myself of my dear Otoya." Shiena replied before licking the scissor's blade.

The brunette then proceeded to cut herself on her forearm, before lapping the blood that was coming out the wound with a lustful expression. Tokaku was dismayed by what she had just witnessed. How could this girl be the Shiena she knew? How could she have changed so much? Was she always so messed up in the head? No, it couldn't be, otherwise Tokaku would have smell it. There was no way the brunette could have fooled her nose for so long.

"What is wrong with you!? How could you be so…crazy? What's your goal?!"

"Oh yes, I'm so despairfully crazy…and you should know what I'm up to, which is causing more despair of course." Shiena replied gloomily.

"Why? What are you gonna do?! Don't tell me…you want to kill Haru to make me fall into despair!?"

"What? Of course not! That would be such a predictable and boring development, don't you think? Me killing Ichinose, you killing me in a fit of despair by revenge, how boring. No, for you I've plan something way more interesting, way more…despair-inducing! Upupu!"

Shiena suddenly put the scissors on the table, near Haru. Tokaku wanted to take advantage of the fact she was now disarmed to attack her, but as soon as she approached her, Haru suddenly got in the way. The blue haired girl was shocked when she discovered her girlfriend's expression. Haru was crying, but her face was so…emotionless, and her eyes looked dead inside and gloomy. She wasn't in her normal state, Tokaku knew it. She knew that Haru had sworn to never cry anymore.

"Haru!? What…what happened to you? What's the matter? What did she show you?"

Haru didn't answer, she just continued to gaze at her with an empty look, before she started mumbling.

"Kaminaga-san…I'm so sorry, you died because of me…"

"Haru, what are you talking about?"

"And Suzu-san…I should have trust you, it's because of me if you died, because I didn't have faith in her, because I voted for her as the blackened…"

Tokaku was confused. It was like Haru couldn't see or hear her, like she was talking to people who aren't there, like she was hallucinating…The blue haired girl turned back to ask question to Shiena.

"Oy, you! What did you make her watched…?"

She then noticed that the brunette was nowhere to be seen. She most likely escaped when Tokaku was too busy being worried about Haru. Anyway, Sumireko was outside, she would take care of the SMSL Despair.

"…They all died because of me. Class Black happened because of Haru. This is why I should just…die."

When Tokaku heard Haru said that, she panicked and immediately turned back, to discover that her girlfriend was holding the scissors. The blue haired girl slapped her in the face.

"Haru, snap out of it! This isn't you!"

Tokaku then understood what was going on. She recalled the moment where she nearly killed Haru during Class Black. It was because she saw that video, the video that made her hallucinated her dead classmates and nearly made her killed herself. It was the suicide video. That must be what Shiena made Haru watched.

"Haru, you need to pull yourself together, you're brainwashed…!"

Suddenly, Haru aimed the scissors at Tokaku. The red-pinkish haired girl smiled at her sweetly, but her eyes only showed madness, they were screaming despair.

"Tokaku…we shouldn't have survived. Our classmates, our friends, they died…it's not fair for us to be still alive, don't you think? We should just die and go join them, so we could all be reunited…"

"Haru, no…that's insane! You can't…you need to live for those who died, remember? It's your undying magic…"

"Ah, but would it be so despairful for me to die in those circumstances? After all the sacrifices that was made to keep me alive, for me to just kill myself and let all their deaths be in vain, what a despairful conclusion."

Out of the blue, Haru pushed Tokaku on the wall and kept her pressed on it. She then put her knee between the blue haired girl's legs, just slightly under her crotch. Haru then pressed her hand on the wall, near Tokaku's head, while she aimed her with the scissors.

The blue haired girl understood what Shiena had planned for her. The brunette wanted to make Haru killed Tokaku in a fit of despair, and then commit suicide. It was truly a despair-inducing end for Tokaku, to be killed by the one she loved the most, knowing that Haru will die shortly after. This kind of plan was worthy of someone who claimed to be the new SHSL Despair.

"Ah, Tokaku, I love you so much! This is why Haru wants to die with you. We could be together in death, with all our classmates. All we have to do is to kill each other, do a mutual suicide. Would it be romantic, to die together?" Haru said softly while she gently stroked her lover's cheek.

Even if it was hard for Tokaku to resist Haru's requests, she had no intention to let herself be killed and she was determined to protect her girlfriend no matter what. She pushed Haru away and managed to steal the scissors away.

"Haru, that's enough! You're not acting like yourself! You're supposed to be a faith-believer, there's no way you would let yourself die and disrespect everyone who died for you! Kaminaga, Namatame and Shuto wouldn't have wanted this!"

This time, Haru looked furious.

"Shut up! You can't disobey me! I'm your queen! I order you to kill me and then to kill yourself. That's an order from your queen!" Haru shouted.

Tokaku's hand trembled a little. She remained where she was for a moment. She then approached Haru and raised the scissors, to then throw them away, to Haru's surprised.

"No, I won't do it! You may be my queen, but I'm not under your control. When you used your Queen Bee ability on me and ordered me to not die, to stay by your side, to protect you, and to not lose to despair! This is why you can't make me kill you and then kill myself, that would go against your first order!"

"No, it's impossible! You should obey me even so, because you don't love me for real, you're just my slave…"

"No you're wrong! That's not true! I do love you, regardless of your power. We are lovers, I love you, and you love me too. You're the one who saved me when I was under the influence of a despair video, when I was about to kill myself, even though I tried to kill you. You saved me with your love, because you are my hope. This is why I'll do the same."

Tokaku began to walk towards Haru, who in her case recoiled while showing a confused and fearful expression.

"No, please…don't come any closer! Just…just kill me already!" Haru begged while sobbing.

The blue haired girl grabbed her shoulders and gazed at her right in the eyes.

"No, I won't. Because I love you, Haru. Please, come back to your senses. You said it yourself. I'm your knight, your prince, your protector. This is why I'll save you just like you once saved me."

Tokaku gently wiped Haru's tear, before she approached her face from hers. She then pressed her lips on Haru's, giving her a sweet and chaste kiss. They continued to kiss for few seconds, before her girlfriend suddenly pushed her away, before shoving the blue haired girl on the couch. Haru then straddled and kissed her again, this time with a French kiss.

Tokaku then felt Haru's hands stroking her hair and untied them. Her girlfriend then began to touch sensually her chest, before she removed her tie and began to unbutton her shirt, while rubbing herself on the blue haired girl's knee. Tokaku heard her uttered a soft moan. She was really tempted to let Haru do as she pleased, but she then remembered the current situation. She gently pushed her girlfriend away and sat.

"Haru, it's not that I don't want it, but now isn't really the time for that. Oy, Haru, can you hear me?"

The red-pinkish haired girl remained quiet for few seconds, with an empty gaze, before her eyes suddenly looked at her with concern.

"Tokaku…? What…what happened? Why are we…doing that?"

The blue haired girl sighed with relief when she saw that her girlfriend was back to normal.

"You…you saw a despair video, the suicide one, because of Kenmochi. She's the SMSL Despair we are looking for. I need to go after her now, you stay here!" Tokaku said.

Haru looked confused, but she said nothing. The blue haired girl left the sitting room and went looking for Shiena.

* * *

When Tokaku arrived near the vending machines, she discovered with surprised and consternation that Sumireko was lying on the ground, seeming to be unconscious. She then noticed that the elevator's doors were opened, with Shiena inside.

"Kenmochi!? How…how did you do that!?"

"Hehe, who knows? Anyway, it's time for me to take my leave, seeya…oh wait, you ain't going anywhere. See, this elevator is the only way out, and you can use it only at the top floor. Unless, well, you're part of those who orchestrated the Class Black killing game, like me. You may have escape from a despairful Ichinose, but it doesn't matter, since you'll stay lock up here forever! HAHAHA!"

The brunette smiled wickedly as the door began to close. Tokaku threw a knife at her, but it was too late. The knife only managed to hit the now closed doors.

"Azuma-san? What happened?" Sumireko asked while she stood up.

"You tell me. How did such a weak such as Kenmochi managed to knock you out while you're a cyborg?"

"Huh!? Knock me out, Kenmochi-san? No way! I…I ran after her as soon as I saw her went outside the sitting room, and then I went into the Elimination Mode and…I don't remember a thing until I woke up on the floor…"

"Ok…that's strange. Anyway, we need to find a way out of here. We can't use the elevator from here and the only exit is on the top floor…"

Sumireko approached from the elevator and grabbed the doors, forcing them open. The elevator wasn't there, all they saw was the wire.

"We could try to escalate it, and then break into the elevator upstairs…"

"Wait, why you didn't do that during the killing game!?" Tokaku asked.

"Because I didn't know back then that there was an emergency exit on the top floor. And do you think Monokuma would have allowed this?"

"Ok, fair point. We should find a rope first, because I don't think Haru will be able to climb this high…"

"Tokaku, Hanabusa-san!"

The blue haired girl turned back when she heard Haru calling them. Her girlfriend was running towards them while holding Shiena's laptop.

"Haru, don't touch that! It's filled with despairful stuffs!"

The red-pinkish haired girl stopped near them, breathless.

"But…it's haunted!" Haru declared.

"Uh? What do you mean, it's haunted?" Tokaku asked.

"Just look!" she said while turning on the laptop.

Tokaku immediately recoiled like it was a bomb about to explode. She was expecting to see another despair video. But it didn't seem to be the case. All she saw was a black screen, until something suddenly appeared on the screen. Tokaku couldn't believe it when she recognised this familiar figure.

"How…what?" the blue haired girl mumbled.

"Is that…Shuto-san?" Sumireko reacted.

Suzu's head had appeared on the screen and she was smiling at them.

"Hello! My name is Avatar, and I'm an AI. Nice to meet you all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long ago, the nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Despair Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of games, could stop them, but when the world needed her most, she vanished...wait, not that kind of Avatar! Sorry ^^'
> 
> Looks like some hacker made her own AI! Who do she think she is, some kind of programmer?
> 
> Anyway, what do you think Shiena is up next? And still no news from either the chairwoman or Nio...
> 
> When Haru was under the suicide video's influence, just pictured her with spiraled eyes (just like in the anime Danganronpa 3 when characters saw it, for those of you who had seen it).


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously, in Dangan Riddle: The Queen Bee, the heir of the Azuma clan and a high tech Cyborg got all overpowered by a dorky nerd in pajama. How despairful.
> 
> btw it's the longest chapter of Dangan Riddle for the moment.

"So, what's the verdict?" Tokaku asked.

The blue haired girl asked this to Byakuya and Kirigiri, who just come out from the computer lab. She had been waiting in the corridor with Haru, Naegi, Sumireko, Aoi, Hagakure, Toko and Komaru.

"The computer scientists have finished inspecting the laptop." Togami began. "And other than the suicide video in it, there's nothing else in it that is despairful."

"So, Avatar, the AI…" Haru began to say.

"This AI is not a despair-inducing program, it's just a regular one, quite sophisticate. The same type as Alter-Ego." Kirigiri replied.

"Ok, so…can we see her…uh, it?" Haru asked.

"I suppose yes, but we need to remain careful. Let's not forget that this AI was found in the SMSL Despair's laptop." Byakuya said.

They all went inside the computer lab. Haru couldn't still believe that Shiena was truly part of the SHSL Despair. It must be a misunderstanding, there was no way someone as gentle as her would associate herself with such an evil group. There must be an explanation, a reason why, just like why the chairwoman pretended to be the mastermind. This is what Haru wanted to believe, what she had faith in…no, what she had hope in!

On the middle of a table, Shiena's laptop was there, turned on. On the screen, Suzu-Avatar was there, giving them a friendly smile.

"Finally, I can have some company. Those computer scientists were far from being friendly or interesting." the AI said.

"You…you aren't Suzu-san, right? You're just…a computer program…, right?" Haru asked.

"If you are referring to the human Shuto Suzu, then yes, I'm not her. I'm not some kind of ghost if it's what you were thinking of. I'm an Artificial Intelligence made to imitate people which I had been programmed to copy, and I do believe that I'm a proper replica of Shuto Suzu."

"But…you can hear us!?" Naegi exclaimed. "How? With Alter-Ego, we had to write to be understood…"

"Laptops are usually equipped with a mike. My program is able to take control of the mike to be able to hear the noise around the laptop. Even when the laptop is turned off."

"Really? I find it hard to believe." Tokaku replied.

"I'm always activated. You want proof? I heard everything that happened between you and Haru-san in the sitting room."

Tokaku slightly blushed. Haru was not sure why. She barely remembered what happened in the sitting room after Shiena showed her that strange video. Haru remembered that she saw her dead classmates making her feel guilty for being still alive and encouraging her to kill herself. But even if it brought her a lot of despair, it wasn't what was worst. It was when Haru saw a vision of Tokaku telling her that she didn't love her for real and that she was just her slave, manipulated by the Queen Bee ability, that Haru was successfully brainwashed by the suicide video.

"Uh, I see. So that is why your hair was messy and your shirt unbuttoned." Sumireko said. "You really should check your priority, Azuma-san."

"Wait, it's not what you think, I didn't…it was for Haru's sake! To snap her out from the brainwash…"

"So…we…we did something there…I don't really remember…"

"P-Please, just…give me some details!" Toko asked with a perverted expression.

"Toko!" Komaru replied with a reproachful look.

"What? I'm just…curious…not that I'm into yuri…maybe a little."

"Anyway, there's something I want to know. When you said you have been made to imitate some people, I suppose it isn't just Shuto Suzu, am I right?" Kirigiri asked.

"Aren't you a perceptive one? Hum, according to my data, you're Kirigiri Kyouko, the SHSL Detective. Interesting. I'm sure the person I'm posing as would have liked you."

"It's a possibility, but it doesn't answer my question." the detective insisted.

The Suzu-Avatar showed a sly smile, before its appearance suddenly changed, to become the one of a red haired woman.

"Does it answer your question?" the AI asked.

"Na…Namatame!?" Tokaku exclaimed.

The blue haired looked flustered by the sudden apparition of Chitaru. Haru understood that it must be hard for her girlfriend to see her dead classmate, even in the form of an AI. Other than Haru, the fencer was probably the only one Tokaku viewed as a friend in Class Black, her death had really affected her.

"No Azuma. I'm still Avatar. But right now, I'm imitating Namatame Chitaru's personality."

"You…you're wrong! Namatame is…she's irreplaceable! You could never be like her, she was…" Tokaku tried to say.

Suddenly, Avatar changed once again its appearance.

"You're right. Nothing could beat the original Chitaru-san. Because she was already perfection." the Hitsugi-Avatar said.

The AI began to change quickly its appearance, switching from Isuke, Otoya, Banba, and Haruki, to finally take Kouko's figure.

"See? I can take everyone's appearance. Well, not exactly everyone, as you could see." the Kouko-Avatar said.

"What do you mean by that? Aren't you able to take everyone from Class Black's appearance?" Haru asked.

Avatar went back to Suzu's figure.

"Well, not exactly. I wasn't programed that way. Hey, let's play a game. Try to guess what am I program for."

Haru thought about it. For the moment, Avatar had taken the appearance of eight of her classmates. It didn't take a long for her to understand what they all had in common.

"You…you can only take the form of those who are dead from Class Black!" Haru exclaimed.

"Good answer, Haru-san! Indeed, my creator programmed me to replicate those who died during our killing game."

"Your creator? Who's that?" Tokaku asked.

"Well, isn't obvious?" the Suzu-Avatar said with a smirk, before changing its appearance once again. "I'm talking about our dear Shiena-chan!"

Haru felt goosebumps when she heard that voice again.

"Takechi-san…" Haru mumbled.

"Not quite, but you can call me that, Haru-chi!" the Otoya-Avatar said cheerfully.

Suddenly, Toko sneezed and switch personality.

"Oy, what is going…Hey, isn't it Takechi!? What are ya doing in that laptop?" Genocider Sho asked.

"I'm dead but my legacy still exists in that AI."

"Wait, you know each other? I know that Fukawa-san had met Takechi-san, but how did she meet Genocider too?" Naegi asked.

"Let's just say that I'm good at spotting people with similar interests as me, so my original must have sense Fukawa-san's murderous split personality and tried to meet her." the Otoya-Avatar explained.

"Yup, that's indeed what happened. Us psycho serial killer have a way to spot each other, especially when we have similar taste in weapon." Genocider said while pulling out her scissors.

"So if I understand well, you may be a AI imitating people, you don't seem to have their memory." Kirigiri said.

"You're right. All the memories I have are things Shiena-chan had seen by herself. I can't remember thing that she never experienced. But since she's quite a skillful analyst, she was able to guess all our personalities and behaviour right and wrote my program based on her observation."

"So she's an analyst, just like Enoshima Junko…no wonder she's her successor, they must be quite similar." Byakuya said.

"No, you're wrong! Shiena-chan, she…she was nothing like Enoshima Junko! She was such a nice and generous person, I can't believe she's really a SHSL Despair!" Haru protested.

"You're right Haru-chi! Shiena-chan was such a sweet and innocent girl with a pure heart! That's what I loved the most about her. It always made me wants to tease and bully her, just to see the anger and fear on her cute face. Ah, I miss those moments."

"I thought you said this AI wasn't a despair program." Aoi said.

"That's what the computer scientists told us." Togami replied.

"Don't worry, that's just Takechi's rotten personality. This AI really gets her personality right." Tokaku said.

"But…Shiena-chan changed when she befriend Enoshima-san. That bitch, she…she stole my Shiena-chan! She took away what was the most beautiful thing about her, her pure heart. She corrupted her with despair and made Shiena-chan ugly in the inside!" the Otoya-Avatar exclaimed angrily.

"Well, that confirmed what I said. If they were friend, then this Kenmochi girl must be the same kind as Enoshima-san." Byakuya said.

"Kenmochi-san was a hacker, but still, to be able to program an AI, it takes more informatics skills." Kirigiri commented.

The AI suddenly took back Suzu's appearance.

"According to my data, my creator hacked into the laptop of the SHSL Programmer and copied his AI Alter-Ego and modified it to program me. With some updates to fit her own likings."

"To create an AI based on our dead classmates, Shiena-chan must have missed them…" Haru said.

"Maybe there are some parts of her who regrets their death. Since she made me, all she did was to talk to me like I was her real classmates." the Suzu-Avatar said. "What a lonely child."

"Well, that doesn't change the fact that she's the SMSL Despair and that intend to make the world fall into despair once again. So if you are not on the side of despair, then help us stop your creator!" Sumireko commanded.

"I would like to, I swear, but…I don't know what she planned exactly. I do have so ideas due to what she was doing on her laptop, but she never told me about it."

"Well that's a start. Tell us about what she was doing." Tokaku asked.

"Very well. She was working on some video montage with clips from our killing game. I think it's well enough for you to guess what she had planned to do next." Avatar revealed.

Haru thought about it. For what reason Shiena would have done a video montage with clips from their killing game? She then remembered something she heard about how Junko managed to make the world fell into despair.

"Don't tell me…she used what was filmed from our killing game to make another despair video!?" Haru exclaimed.

"…upupu, that's right."

Haru blenched when she heard that unfortunately familiar laugh. It didn't come from the laptop, even the Suzu-Avatar seemed surprise. Suddenly, the big screen in the room began to glitch, and a figure appeared on it.

"You…Kenmochi!" Tokaku shouted angrily.

Haru was shocked when she saw Shiena on the screen, especially her appearance. The brunette's lost eye had been replaced by a red one and she had two scars on her face, one on her cheek and the other over her red eye. She was wearing s school uniform that looked like her original one, but with Myojo's uniform colors. Haru noticed that Shiena was wearing two Monokuma's pins in her pigtails, one entirely black and the other white. She still had her glasses, but the glass over her fake eye was missing.

"Hello my dear classmates. How are you going today?" Shiena asked with a friendly smile.

"Cut it out with your bullshit, why did you make a despair video?" Tokaku asked.

"Well, isn't it obvious? To make the world fall into despair once again, of course. After all, I'm the SMSL Despair, and I'll become the new SHSL Despair when I'll have succeeded."

Haru couldn't believe what she heard. So Shiena was really on the side of despair. But the brunette still looked the same, well except her appearance. Shiena was looking at them softly with a kind smile, which was her usual expression back then, before the Tragedy. It made it harder for Haru to accept the truth about her.

"Why…why re you doing that!?" Tokaku replied.

"Why? Well, would it be just too despairful for the world to fall once again into despair after finally recovered from it? That's what I aiming to. Create a Tragedy even more tragic, even more…despair-inducing." Shiena began to say happily. "Oh, I see that you brought my AI with you, just as I expected you to do."

"What do you mean?" Sumireko asked.

"Come on, how do you think that I managed to hack this screen? Because you brought my laptop here, you fool! Hahaha!"

"Why did you make that AI? Was it just to trick us?" Tokaku asked.

Suddenly, Shiena showed a sadden expression.

"No, it's not for that. It was because I missed them, our dead classmates. I made this AI to remind me of them, to never forget them…"

"Shiena-chan…" Haru said softly.

"…because the despair I feel while thinking about them and the fact that I'm responsible for their death is just too…ah… delectable." the brunette added with a lustful expression.

Haru remained shocked. Shiena just admitted to be responsible for their classmates' death, so most likely to be the one who caused their killing game. She was now forced to accept the painful truth. Shiena was on the side of despair and she was an ally of Junko.

"Wow, that chick is nuts!" Hagakure exclaimed.

"Hum, at first I thought she had a completely different vibe than Enoshima, especially because of their respective style, but now I can see that those two are cut from the same cloth." Byakuya said.

"No, Shiena-chan…that can't be true! You aren't like that, this isn't you! I know you, you were so kind during our school life, and during our killing game, you tried too hard to save everyone! All of this couldn't have been just an act!" Haru shouted desperately.

Shiena looked at her with a kind smile, but her gaze seemed malicious.

"Ah, poor Ichinose, so naive. I almost pity you. No, it wasn't an act. But you know, during the killing game, my memory had also been erased! The Shiena you knew during the killing game was only my past self, but now that I got my memory back, I'm not longer that pathetic girl I was before."

"Wait, you had erased your own memory? Why would you such a thing!?" Tokaku exclaimed.

"To taste despair! You see, I fell into despair too quickly, I never had the chance to savor it properly. So I wanted to start over, to be able to feel true despair. And for that, I needed to go back to my previous self, otherwise I wouldn't have feel true despair. Despair isn't supposed to be pleasant you know, and my current self enjoys it. So yeah, erasing my memory was my best option."

Others seemed disturbed to hear Shiena's explanation, and ever creeped out, but not Haru. What the brunette told them just gave Haru some hope about her.

"What a relief!" Haru said. "So it means that the Shiena-chan we knew back then wasn't just a role you played, she really existed. And if she once existed, than she can come back. Something made you fell into despair, you said it yourself, which means you can change again. Please Shiena-chan, remember who you were, it's never too late to make the right decision. I know there still must be good in you, the Shiena-chan we knew back then still exists in you, I'm sure. You believed so hard in hope, your dream was to become the SHSL Dramatist, you can't have forget and give up on your hope!"

At first, when Haru was talking, Shiena looked kind of sad, and even a little by regretful, but as soon as Haru mentioned the word hope, the brunette became gloomy.

"Hope? Hope…that deceitful, despicable, disgusting hope…Hope is what ruined everything in the first place!" Shiena shouted furiously. "Hope tricked me, used me, used my dream to make me belief in something that wasn't true. Hope's Peak Academy, the symbol of hope, was a fraud! All they cared about was talents, not people. They treated their students as rat subjects for their own fame, not to form them to use their talents for the greater good. Just look at how they treated the reserve course students, just as a bunch of cash cows! They were viewed as subhuman by the school just because they were talentless, like their lives were less worthy of those with talents. I can't believe I once worshipped that rotten academy and its hope, this academy that was ready to protect a potential murder just because he was the SHSL Hope! If this is hope, than it isn't worthy of any admiration. At least despair isn't deceitful, it's truth. Even if it's painful at least it's genuine, unlike hope that gives you fake expectations and dreams."

Suddenly, Shiena burst into a crazy laugh.

"But it's all in the past now. Ah, my hopeful past self was so dumb, but at least she gave me the best despair. I felt what she felt during the killing game and it was wonderful. She was so desperate to save everyone, to find the traitor and to not give up on hope, the despair she felt when she discovered that she was the traitor all along and that she orchestrate the killing game is incomparable. Not even Enoshima herself had felt such a powerful despair, I'm sure. Just to think about it make my eyes wet…and not only them…hehe."

"No, Shiena-chan, that can't be true, you can seriously think that way!"

"She's insane! Haru, let it go! She's unredeemable at this point. She's completely overwhelmed by despair now, there's nothing we can do." Tokaku said.

"Listen to your girlfriend, Ichinose. She's right. The person I was before is dead and will never come back. And it's all thanks to Enoshima. She opened up her my eyes about what hope truly was, and made me discover of wonderful despair is. And for that, I'll be eternally grateful to her."

"So you're just a Remnants of Despair, an obsessive Enoshima Junko's fan." Togami replied.

"No, that's wrong! Even if I respect her, I'm not one of her mindless followers. I don't admire her or want to be like her, I want to be better than her. This is why I'll cause a greater Tragedy than she did, and I won't do the same mistakes as she did. After all I went through, I know despair more than her, I'm more despairful than her! "

"Shiena-chan stop! You can't be serious! Please, come back to your senses!" Haru begged.

The brunette looked at Haru with a soft expression, before it became twisted and wicked.

"Ah, you have no idea how serious I am. I love the expression on your face right now, Ichinose. It's so…despairful. It remains me of all the despair I caused to our dear classmates, their death had been so despair-inducing, especially Kaminaga. Poor girl, all she wanted was to be a worthy leader and protect us all, but she was the first one to be killed, because of you."

"Shiena-san, don't say that…" Haru pleaded.

"But it's the truth! Poor class prep, it must have been so despairful for her to die murdered by one of her fellow classmate, when she wanted to trust everyone so much. And let's not forget that poor Namatame, she was such an angel. She didn't even kill on purpose, she got executed over a tragic accident. And even Kirigaya, all she wanted was to make sure Namatame would survive, but she failed. How despairful...and delectable."

"Shiena-chan, stop…!"

"And then Sagae committed suicide to save her sick mother, who was already dead since a while! How pitiful! And pathetic. It's even laughable at this point."

"Don't say something like that!"

"But the worst is Shuto. She lost her dear Kaminaga right at the start and her only goal was to honor her last request, which was to protect everyone. If must have been hard for her to see her classmates died, not able to protect them. She even faked her own death to keep her promise, but…again, thanks to you, she failed and she died, because of you! Monokuma framed her because you made her fail her plan. Just think about how Shuto must have feel during the fifth class trial. Too see that no one trusted her, that everyone voted for her as the blackened when she fully knew that she was innocent, she must have feel such a despair when she died. Just to think about that, it's…orgasmic."

"Stop talking!" Haru said.

"But the best is you. To see such an optimistic and faithful girl such as yourself being in such despair, it was truly the best. Especially after Shuto's execution, I loved see you fell more and more into despair. And then Inukai and Banba died too…"

"SHUT UP!" Haru screamed.

Haru couldn't think straight. The despair had begun to take over her. She then felt Tokaku's hand taking hers.

"Haru, you need to calm down. This is exactly what she wants. And it makes us in danger…" the blue haired girl said.

Haru wasn't sure to understand what she meant, until she noticed that Sumireko's eyes were slowly turning to red. Her left one was entirely red, while the right one was slightly violet.

"I…can't…hold back…you need…to calm…your despair." Hanabusa hardly managed to say.

Haru took a deep inspiration and managed to calm down a little, eased by Tokaku's physical contact.

"I see what you did there. You tried to make Ichinose-san despairful enough to trigger Hanabusa-san's Elimination Mode, so that she would kill us all. This is what you meant by don't make the same mistake as Enoshima Junko. Unlike her, you don't intent to let potential threats lives." Kirigiri said.

"As expected of the SHSL Detective!" Shiena praised sarcastically. "Indeed, unlike her, I don't see the point to give equal chances to my enemies. Enoshima was too self-centered and only thought about her own despair rather than spread it. This is why she gave you so many chances, because she was, ugh… _hoping_ , that someone will eventually defeated her so she could feel despair. That was her flaw. And I won't do the same mistake. Spreading despair is my priority, my own despair come second. But don't worry, I don't intended to necessarily kill you right now. Believe me, I could kill you anytime I want. But I want you too to experience the despair I'll soon cause. But as soon as you will become a threat to me, I won't hesitate to kill you all. I won't let you miserable hope believers stop me, even you, SHSL Hope!"

Shiena then pulled out a black USB key.

"And with this, I intend to broadcast my own despair video to the world. Not everyone will see it, only those who will be on their TV or computer when I'll diffuse it. But still, it will be well enough. Those who will be brainwash will cause despair to those who aren't, and the world will once again fall into despair. And if you want to have a chance to survive, you better not get into my way and be prepare for despair. Or just watch TV, so you could at least enjoy it. That would be all, enjoy your last moment of hope, because it won't last long!"

The brunette suddenly disappeared from the screen. Everyone remained quiet for few seconds, too disturbed by what they heard.

"Well…we should get going now if we want to stop her." Naegi said. "We can't let her make the world fall into despair once again!"

"Good thing that she spoke for so long, I was able to trace her call. I know where she is now. In helicopter we should be there in a couple of hours." Byakuya said.

Tokaku grabbed Shiena's laptop and gazed at Avatar.

"You…you'll come with us and showed us what clips she used for her despair video. Without the despair effects. Maybe it could help us to stop her." Tokaku said.

"Don't worry, the final montage isn't in the laptop anymore, but in the USB key." the Suzu-Avatar said.

They all get ready to leave, while Haru remained disturbed and devastated by what Shiena told them.

* * *

After a long trip, they finally arrived to where Shiena had called them. It was a disused factory. During the trip, Avatar showed them some clips the brunette used for the despair video, as well as others that could be useful. Those clips confirmed to Haru that Kouko indeed tried to kill Otoya, but the serial killer didn't kill her by self-defence like she claimed. She had successfully overpowered Kouko and decided to murder her. The clips also confirmed her that she had been right about the incident involving Hitsugi's death and that Nio was still alive and had been blackmailed by Monokuma, and that the chairwoman only pretended to be the mastermind.

Since the factory was huge, they split up in two groups to cover more ground. One group was the former Hope's Peak students and the others the Myojo's students. But Toko went to the Myojo group with Komaru instead.

After a moment of search, the Myojo group arrived in a room filled with trashes. Haru then noticed that the room wasn't empty, there was someone lying on the ground, in a pile of junk.

"Over there, there's someone!" Haru said.

They all approached the mysterious person. When they were enough close to see what they looked like Haru was shocked when she recognised who it was.

"No…it can't be…what is she doing here!?" Haru exclaimed.

Lying in the trashes there was Nio, the SMSL Illusionist, seeming to be asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Nio is finally here! And where she belongs, in the trash...I'm sorry.
> 
> When Avatar took Banba's appearance, Sumireko was crying in the inside. I swear.


	10. Chapter 10

The group remained quiet for few minutes while looking at the girl sleeping in the trashes. Nio wasn't wearing her Myojo's school uniform anymore. The blonde girl was wearing a gray dirty hooded jacket and her hair was terribly messy (even her ahoge was downward rather than pointing on her head).

"Nio…why is she here?" Haru wondered.

"Isn't obvious? She must be working with Kenmochi." Tokaku said.

"No, I do not think so. What Kenmochi-san is trying to achieve would not be something the chairwoman would have condoned, so Hashiri-san has no reason to help her." Sumireko replied.

"Again with the chairwoman? She might be dead already, so without her yes Hashiri might have join Kenmochi!" the blue haired girl insisted.

"Uh, sorry if I'm not minding my own business, but I think Hanabusa-san is right. I don't know that girl, but according to what Avatar showed us, she was blackmailed by Monokuma, so she's not an SHSL Despair." Komaru said.

"Y-Yes, and she worked for him because…her…uh…her sugar mama was held hostage." Toko added.

"You don't know anything from Hashiri! Trust me, I know her well, that girl is rotten to the core." Tokaku replied. "And even if she was blackmailed, she still betrayed us and helped Monokuma toying with our lives! She never lost her memory, she could have tried to warn us, but she just watched us killed each other quietly…"

"But Yuri-sensei's life was in danger. I suspect Hashiri-san to be the chairwoman's worker bee, and if I am right, then she had no other choices than obeyed Monokuma for her queen's sake. She could not have done otherwise. You Azuma-san you are best placed to understand that, no?" Sumireko argued.

"That still doesn't explain why Hashiri is here, in the place from where Kenmochi called us!" Tokaku protested. "How can you forgive her? She's partly responsible for the death of our classmates! Even Banba…"

"I never said that I forgave her!" Sumireko retorted. "Do not get me wrong, I am mad at her, but it would serve no purpose to take our anger on her, especially if she is not linked to the SHSL Despair."

As they all continue to argue, Haru wondered what the truth was. Could it be possible that Nio was now working with Shiena? If the chairwoman was indeed dead, than maybe the blonde girl may have fell into despair and joined the brunette's cause. But maybe there was another explanation. Haru wanted to believe and have faith in Nio's innocence. It had been quite painful for her to accept that Shiena was a SHSL Despair, but to learn that another one of her classmates who survived was one too would be too despairful.

"Please, stop arguing!" Haru asked. "We don't know yet if Nio is an ally of Shiena-chan, as far as I'm concern, Nio is our classmate, one the rare one who's still alive, so I don't want to doubt her! Rather than arguing, we should ask her directly and let her defend herself."

"…fine. But let me wake her up, she might be dangerous." Tokaku agreed.

The blue haired girl approached Nio and crouched near her with a disgusted expression.

"She stinks." Tokaku commented. "She reeks of alcohol."

Haru noticed that there were a lot of beer bottles in the trashes that looked empty.

"Well, it seems that someone is passed out drunk. I am not quite sure if it is a good or a bad thing." Sumireko commented.

Tokaku proceeded to give some slaps in Nio's face.

"Oy, Trash. I know you're probably comfortable in your natural habitat, but it's time to wake up now. We have questions to ask you and you better answer them."

The blonde girl whimpered a little, before slowly opening her eyes. Her gaze looked empty, like she was still half-asleep. After few seconds, Nio suddenly glanced at Tokaku and Haru with a confused expression, before looking furious.

"You…what have you done to her? Where is she!?" Nio shouted.

The illusionist stood up, like she was about to rush towards Haru. But as soon as she made one step, Nio fell on her knees and suddenly began to throw up. Tokaku skillfully avoid being covered in puke and recoiled from the blonde girl, to position herself in front of Haru in a protective way.

"Hashiri what the hell!? Is that one of your new trashy attack?" Tokaku exclaimed.

"Ew…come on, not even me…is that disgusting…" Toko mumbled.

Nio continued to vomit for few more seconds, until she finally stopped, her stomach probably being empty now. The blonde girl coughed a little, before raising her head to glance at the group furiously. Her face was livid, her eyes looked tired and she was sweaty.

"Where is she…where's Yuri-san? What have you done to her!?" Nio said once again.

"So you don't know either. We were looking for her too…" Haru began to say.

"I won't let you! You…you want to kill her! I'm going to protect her from you, I'll…" Nio said aggressively.

"In your current state I highly doubt that you can do anything to us. So calm down, we do not want to hurt Yuri-san. We know she is not responsible for our killing game, it was Enoshima-san." Sumireko said.

The blonde girl suddenly calmed down a little.

"So you know…that she's innocent…you don't want to kill her…Wait, Hanabusa-san!? What…I thought you were dead! What happened to your body?"

"Long story, I had some upgrades."

"Yes, the chairwoman is innocent, but we can't say the same for you. You…all this time, you had your memory intact. You knew everything, and yet you didn't even try to warn us! You were an accomplice of Enoshima, you helped her!" Tokaku said with hostility.

Nio remained quiet for few seconds, before she suddenly grinned and giggled madly.

"Well, of course I did! I don't know if you have your memory back, but if you do, you should remember that I always hate all of you. I despise the entire class, I'm glad that most of them are dead! Yes I was blackmailed, but I enjoyed every second of it! If I could do it again, I would!" Nio declared.

Tokaku immediately pulled out her knife.

"I knew it. She's rotten, the kind of person who would get along with Enoshima. She must be a Remnant of Despair!" the blue haired girl said.

"Yes, I am! Wasn't it obvious? Now try to kill me if you can, you virgin assassin!"

Tokaku really seemed ready to do it, but Haru suddenly stopped her and approached Nio.

"Haru, don't, she's a threat…"

"No, you're wrong! Nio isn't a threat or an enemy, she's our classmate!"

"Haha, Haru-chan…still so dumb uh…" the blonde girl taunted.

Haru continued to walk towards Nio and stopped right in front of her.

"You're lying. You said those awful things because you thought we were still amnesiac. We aren't. I remember everything. Our time spent together in Myojo before the Tragedy, you were so friendly with everyone, we were friend…"

"I was only pretending you fool! I never viewed myself as your friend, I always loathed you, and everyone else…"

"That's wrong! You may have pretended at the beginning, but I know that eventually it became genuine. I've faith in your friendship Nio, I know you aren't mean enough to side with someone like Enoshima Junko."

The blonde girl remained quiet for a moment, like she was hesitating to speak.

"You…you have no proof of what you are claiming. You can't disproof that I hate all of you and that I was glad to see them die!"

"Actually yes, I can prove my point." Haru replied.

"Uh? What…how? That's impossible! It's not like you can't read my mind…"

"No, but I have access to recordings of our killing game. I saw you, when you were helping Monokuma behind our backs. You had such a sad expression each time you had to move a corpse to the class trial's room, you looked in sorrow when you put a flower other the deceased's portrait, you were truly shocked when people were executed and I can't forget how shameful and regretful you looked when you had to frame Suzu-san! And not a single time you looked happy by doing those things. Are you trying to say that you were faking those reactions, even though no one could see you? I don't think so. Yes you betrayed all of us willingly, but it wasn't by pleasure. You did it only for Yuri-san's sake, but you hated each second of it. Isn't it right, Nio?"

The blonde girl didn't reply anything, she only looked shocked and confused. Haru kneel near her and looked at her in the eyes with compassion.

"It must have been so hard for you. You knew everything, yet you couldn't tell us. It must have been painful for you to watch us being amnesiac while pretending to not know us, to watch so many of your classmates die and being powerless to stop this massacre." Haru said.

To her great surprise, tears began to flow from Nio's eyes.

"I…I do dislike you all, but…not enough to…wish for such a horrible thing. But I don't regret what I've done, because…I did it to protect the one I love, I did it for Yuri-san's sake…"

"I know, I'm not mad at you, I forgive you. You didn't do it to hurt us, but to protect someone you care about."

The blonde girl began to cough again, while grabbing her own head and showing a painful expression.

"Argh…my head…shitty hangover…"

Haru opened her bag and handed her a bottle of water.

"Here, take this. It may help."

"No…I don't want your pity. You're not my queen!"

"I'm not doing this by pity or as a queen, I'm doing this because you are my classmate and I don't want you to suffer. So take it now and drink it!" Haru said in a voice that almost sounded like a command.

Nio hesitated for a moment, before taking the bottle and drinking the water thirstily.

"Thanks…" the blonde girl mumbled reluctantly. "And…is that normal that Hanabusa-san's eyes are turning red?"

Haru immediately turned back, to discover that Sumireko's left eye was now red and the right one was purple, almost about to become red too. The cyborg looked at them with a stoic expression.

"Hanabusa-san…" Haru said worriedly.

"I…cannot…control…my body…anymore. I am about…to enter…the Elimination Mode." Sumireko said robotically. "Quick, Naegi-san, you…you need to shoot me…with your microphone-looking gun. It will stop me…from losing control entirely."

"No you can't! It could kill you!" Haru protested.

"Do not worry, there is none of my robotic parts that is necessary to my survival."

With some hesitation, Komaru raised her weapon a shot at Sumireko. The cyborg fell on the ground and Haru rushed towards her, worried.

"Hanabusa-san!"

Haru grabbed her and noticed that her eyes were fully black, there weren't any light in them anymore.

"No, you can't…" Haru mumbled, fearing the worst.

"It is not what you think, Ichinose-san. My eyes are not functioning, as well as my limbs. I can't see or move, but I can hear and talk."

"Don't worry, the effect will only be temporary." Komaru said.

Haru helped her to sit, before she went back to Nio, who looked really confused.

"If Hanabusa-san acted that way, it's because she felt your despair." Haru said.

"So she's a SHSL Despair?" Tokaku asked.

"No, she is not. She is just overwhelmed by despair." Sumireko replied.

"What did you expect? After all the shits I went through, there's no way I wouldn't fell so much despair now…" Nio mumbled.

"Is it…why you are drinking? Now that I think about it, you practically begged for Tokaku to kill you. Don't tell me that…you want to die!?" Haru asked.

Nio didn't answer immediately and looked away.

"…yes. I want to die, but I don't have the guts to kill myself."

"You can't die! Don't let despair win over you! Is it because of what you did during the killing game? You don't have to feel guilty for what you did, I already told you that I forgive you…" Haru said.

"I don't." Tokaku added.

"Tokaku!"

"Ah, you're wrong. It's not only because of that. There's way more shits that happened before and during the Tragedy." Nio began to say. "First Yuri-san began to be dangerously sick, so much that she had to take a break from being the chairwoman. She asked me to take her place temporary, the time she could recovered from her illness. She intrusted me with her academy and Class Black, and I failed to honor her request. I screwed up everything! I let Enoshima Junko messed with everything, all my classmates mysteriously disappeared, and when I turned the school into a shelter to protect the remaining students, they all went outside and randomly committed a mass-suicide! I saw everything, some of them shot themselves, did a hara-kiri or even immolate themselves by fire! I'm not the type who has a problem to see people die, but that, it was way too much! They were Yuri-san's students, and I couldn't protect them, and either the academy she liked so much. She intrusted me with everything she cared about and I ruined everything! I'm not worthy of her anymore, I should just…die…"

Even more tears began to roll on Nio's cheek as she said that.

"No, you can't think that! You can't die now! You need to be reunited with Yuri-san, she's waiting for you…" Haru tried to say.

"I don't care anymore! After all I've done, I don't deserve her. I'm unworthy of my queen. She must be so disappointed in me anyway, if she's still alive. She might be dead now, her illness was really serious, after all this time, I doubt she's still alive…"

"No you're wrong!" Haru exclaimed. "She can't be dead. You need to have faith in her. There's no way the chairwoman would have let herself died so easily. I saw your conversation with her before you left the school after the killing game was over. She isn't mad at you and she wants to see you against. This is why she asked you to find her, as well to Tokaku and I. Since none of us have found her yet, she must still be waiting for us somewhere. This is what I've faith in, that Yuri-san would do anything to remain alive to see us again, to see you. If you let the despair win, if you let yourself die, than you're right, she'll be disappointed in you. It would be dishonoring her wish!"

This time, Nio started crying for real.

"But…but I couldn't find her…I don't know where she is, she must be dead…"

"Nio, don't say that anymore. We couldn't find her either, but maybe if we work together as classmates, we could have a chance to find her. You just need to have faith in you, us, and Yuri-san."

The blonde girl continued to sob a little, before wiping her tears.

"You…you're right. Damn, you're really good with words, Haru-chan. Just like her. But my queen is better."

"No, mine is the best." Tokaku replied.

"Tss, you wish. It's only true in your wildest dream." Nio retorted with a smirk.

Haru was relieved to see the blonde girl joking again. It meant that she must feel better.

"Hashiri-san, I would have one question to ask you. How exactly Enoshima-san managed to hijack Class Black and Myojo Academy?" Sumireko suddenly asked.

Nio remained quiet for a moment, with a shameful expression.

"The chairwoman started to be sick just after you all arrived in Class Black. She had to leave the academy in emergency to receive some treatments. Her departure had been kept a secret and I pretended to be her to avoid her illness to be discovered. Let's say that she's a woman with many enemies and her being sick would be a chance for them to take over her clan. But Class Black was also a common project between Myojo and Hope's Peak Academy. Yuri-san only accepted this because an alliance with Hope's Peak could be beneficial for her school. So, in her absence, I had to take care of the class, but without her I wasn't sure what to do. This is why you ended up having a normal school life for many months, because I had decided to wait for her before starting the killing game. And then, I met…Enoshima Junko. In fact, it's her sister, Ikusaba Mukuro, that I met first, before Class Black. She was initially supposed to compete into Class Black, but since she was already accepted in Hope's Peak, she had to refuse the offer. That must be how Enoshima learned about Class Black. When I was thinking about starting the event myself, she came to meet me, and she offered me her help. Since she seemed like a fun person and she had interesting ideas, I…started to hang out with her. Not that I've any intention to let her get involve in Class Black, but I had to keep an eye on her, since she knew about it. She convinced me to wait a little bit again before starting the game, because she was preparing something that could be useful for the game. I decided to trust her and wait, mainly because I wanted to wait until Yuri-san's return. And then, the Tragedy happened. You all got kidnapped, the other students committed suicide, and I remained alone in the school. Well, that's what I thought, until I received a call from Monokuma, telling me that my classmates were amnesiac and wandering inside the school and that I had to gather them in the gymnasium. This is when our killing game started…"

Haru could hear a lot of sadness and regret in Nio's voice, which was heartbreaking. She really felt bad for what the blonde girl had to go through. It wasn't like Nio really wanted to help Junko, she was just a victim of circumstance.

"Hum, the students must have seen the suicide video." Tokaku concluded.

"Enoshima-san must have planned all of this just to use our class as a test for her own killing game. This is why she kept you from starting Class Black, to keep us in the school." Sumireko added.

"Yeah, she really fooled me. What a relief that she's now dead and the world is rid from her sick mentality." Nio said.

"Uh, about that…" Komaru tried to say.

The Hope's Peak group suddenly arrived in the room, which interrupted Naegi's sister.

"We have found nothing, what about you…uh? Who is she…wait, isn't one of your classmate, Hashiri-san I believe…?" Byakuya said.

"Eh…why does it smell like someone puked?" Hagakure commented.

"It's…a long story. Anyway, she's not an enemy, so we need to…" Haru began to say.

"Wait. I may believe that Hashiri isn't an ally of Enoshima, but what about Kenmochi? After all the call was made here, so why are you here Hashiri?" Tokaku asked.

"Uh? Kenmochi-san? I don't know what you're talking about. I'm here because it was a nice place where to hide, that's it. I'm not sure what you are accusing of…" Nio replied.

"Don't play dumb. We know Kenmochi was here, so why was she here with you?" the blue haired girl insisted.

"What? Kenmochi-san is alive too?! How…from all people, I could have never guessed that she would have survived! And no, I didn't see her. I was passed out drunk for a long time, so…uh, why would it be a problem if I met her here by the way?"

"Because the SMSL Despair is trying to make the world fall into despair once again." Kirigiri replied.

Nio suddenly showed a shocked and even panicked expression.

"Uh? SMSL Despair? How…so this person really exists, Enoshima wasn't just messing with me. This person was also the traitor Kenmochi-san was looking for, right?" the blonde girl asked.

"Not only that. Kenmochi is the SMSL Despair." Tokaku replied.

Nio remained quiet for a moment, before suddenly burst in laugh.

"Haha, you must be kidding me! Kenmochi-san, being a SHSL Despair? What a joke!"

"No Nio, this is the truth. Even I couldn't believe it at first, but this is the truth. Shiena-chan was an ally of Enoshima-san." Haru confirmed.

"Well it must be a misunderstanding, because it's 100% impossible for her to be that type of person."

"I did not think you would have such a blind faith into Kenmochi-san. But I can assure you, she is the SMSL Despair." Sumireko said.

"No no no, don't get me wrong. I couldn't care less about her. But I know that Kenmochi-san would never so such a thing. All your backstories were carefully investigate before you came to Class Black. Kenmochi-san doesn't have the profile at to be like Enoshima or to kill people. Maybe for revenge she could commit murder, but even that, I doubt it. So I don't know where you got that, but you're wrong."

"We learned it from Kenmochi-san herself." the cyborg replied.

"Y-Yeah, I can confirm that. That girl…at first I thought she was similar to me, but…less ugly, but now…she's clearly an Enoshima 2.0, but worst!" Toko declared.

"Yes, that chick is insane! She looked like a human version of Monokuma." Hagakure added.

"Well then it wasn't her, it must be doppelganger, an evil twin sister, or a robot with her look, but it's definitely not the Kenmochi-san we know. It's just plain impossible!" Nio insisted.

Haru was surprised to see Nio defended Shiena like that. It almost made her wished that she was true, that it was impossible for the brunette to be an SHSL Despair. But it didn't change the fact that she saw with her own eyes and hear it from Shiena's mouth, she couldn't deny the truth. But still, somehow, Haru wanted to have faith in what Nio claimed.

"Seriously Hashiri-san? You think that those sci-fi things are more plausible than the fact that Kenmochi-san could have been pretending to be an innocent girl all along?" Sumireko said.

"You're a sci-fi thing, you cyborg!" Nio replied.

"Wait! I think I know what could have happened." Naegi suddenly said. "Kenmochi-san might have suffered the same fate as the Remnants of Despair. It's possible that Enoshima-san made her watch the despair video. Those who saw that video are brainwashed into becoming addicted to despair. If it's the case, than Kenmochi-san is only brainwashed, she isn't herself."

"So it's not her fault if she's acting that way?" Haru said with hope.

"No. She's most likely like the other remnants, another victim of Enoshima-san. So there might be a way to save her, I know someone who could maybe cancel the brainwash…" Naegi added.

"That won't be necessary." Sumireko suddenly said.

The cyborg stood up, her eyes had recovered their blue lights.

"Hanabusa-san, what do you mean?" Haru asked.

"I mean that we do not have to do this. I will take care of Kenmochi-san myself. I will kill her."

Everyone remained quiet for a moment after Sumireko's declaration. Haru couldn't believe what she heard.

"What? But you can't! Shiena-chan might not be herself, it's not her fault if she's only brainwashed, she's innocent…"

"It's true! She might be just like the remnants, a victim. You can't kill an innocent person for something they couldn't control!" Naegi said.

"If it is really the case. We have no concrete proof that she is indeed brainwashed. And even if she were, it would not change anything. I did not agree with saving the remnants either. Once someone went into such a deep despair, either it was willingly or by brainwashed, they can never fully recover from it. I know it by experience. It is better to take no risk and eliminate that kind of individual. We can never be sure that they would not succumb once again to despair after what they went through. This is why our best chance to eradicate once and for all despair is to destroy it, which means destroying the last remaining SHSL Despair. This is why I am going to kill Kenmochi-san."

"No, you can't! The remnants are now cured, they are no longer a threat. What you're about to do is…it's despairful! It would go against what you want to achieve." Naegi protested. "You need to have hope, only hope can overcome despair!"

"You cannot understand, you SHSL Hope! Hope cannot defeat despair all the time. When the despair is too strong, when they is no more hope remaining, only despair can destroy despair. This is why I have to do this, this is my duty. Because I am too, technically, a SHSL Despair."

"What…? No, it can't be…what you're saying doesn't even make sense anymore! Hanabusa-san, pull yourself together! You can't kill Shiena-chan, it would be wrong!" Haru argued.

"My strength comes from my own despair. Why do you think I am a despairful anti-despair weapon? Because this is the only way to truly destroy despair, by using another despair. I have no hope now, all I have is despair. And I will use it to destroy other despairs, to make sure that another Tragedy will never happen, and to avenge the girl I loved! I could track the SMSL Despair down thanks to my tracking skills, but for that, I need more despair. The more I am despairful, the more I am powerful. I am the strongest after all. All I need now is just…more…despair!"

Sumireko suddenly grabbed the strap she had made for Banba and looked at it with sadness. With a regretful and pained expression, she crushed it in her hand, and threw it in the trash.

"Hanabusa-san, no!" Haru shouted.

But it was too late. The cyborg eyes became fully red.

"Mode Tracking activated. Search for important source of despair. Negative. There is no source of despair strong enough here to be a SHSL Despair. Let's search for another area." Sumireko said robotically.

The cyborg suddenly left the place at high speed. Haru tried to run after her, but Tokaku stopped her.

"No, it's too dangerous!" the blue haired girl said.

"But…we can't let her do that, she'll kill Shiena-chan!"

"Don't worry, we will track her down. There is a GPS implanted in Hanabusa-san's chip, it was added when Future Foundation fixed it. If she can really found the SMSL Despair, we should let her and then follow her." Togami said.

"That would leave me time to contact a friend of mine to help us curing Kenmochi-san." Naegi added. "Don't worry Ichinose-san, we'll save your classmate, I promise. All you need is to keep hope."

Haru wasn't sure if she could hope anymore, but she chose to trust and have faith into Naegi. Shiena's life was in danger, as well as Sumireko's humanity. Haru wanted to save them both, and for that, she needed to have faith in her companions.

As they left the place, Haru looked at the trash with hesitation. She approached and recovered the broken strap, before leaving with her group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, all the survivors are reunited, minus Shiena.
> 
> Sumireko really lost her mind to despair and Nio is a depressed drunkard. Who's the most despairful between the Myojo's survivors? What will be Shiena's fate? Who's Naegi's friend? Where's the chairwoman? You'll see in a future chapters! See you next time for more despair!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy sh*t, this is the longest Dangan Riddle (and even Akuma no Ronpa) chapter I've ever written! It was supposed to be two chapters but I didn't know where to stop so I decided to just make one really long. I hope you'll like it and don't hesitate to leave a comment!

Haru, Tokaku, Nio, Toko and Komaru were facing a broadcasting studio. This is where the signal of the GPS in Sumireko's chip leaded them. With the help of Avatar, they also managed to trace down one of Shiena's other laptops, that was also there. So there was a high chance that both the cyborg and the hacker were in the broadcasting studio, which greatly worried Haru. She was fearing that it might be too late to save Shiena, and also to prevent Sumireko to commit a mistake that could endangered her humanity and made her unable to come back from the despair she fell in. On the other hand, the broadcasting studio was huge and Hanabusa only got there since few minutes ago. So there might still be a chance for Haru to save her two classmates.

" _It's too soon to give up._ " Haru thought. " _I need to have faith and hope that everything is going to be fine._ "

Except Toko, all the Hope's Peak Academy's former students had remained behind, waiting for Naegi's friend to help them with the cure for Shiena's brainwashing. They will be there as soon as the cure will be ready.

"So…are we getting in?" Komaru asked.

"First, I would like to know what the trash is doing with us." Tokaku said. "I still find her suspicious."

"You're still not over it!? Geez, it begins to be quite bothersome." Nio replied. "I'm here because Kenmochi-san might know where Yuri-san is, so I need to talk with her. And I already proved my innocence! Kenmochi-san must have only called you from where I was hiding simply to make me look suspicious. That's it, stop being so distrustful of me."

"That…is something I could never do." the blue haired girl said.

"No need to fight, we have to hurry! Shiena-chan and Hanabusa-san need our help, and the fate of the world depends on us!" Haru commented.

After few more seconds, they finally all went inside the broadcasting studio. The place looked abandoned. They spotted an elevator and began to walk towards it.

"So…where is she? The SMSL Des…I mean, your classmate Kenmochi-san?" Komaru asked.

"According to the data Avatar found, the broadcasting equipment is at the last floor." Tokaku began to say. "If Kenmochi wants to broadcast her despair video, then she must be there."

As they were about to reach the elevator, something suddenly arrived before them and smashed the elevator's buttons, destroying them. Haru discovered with shock that the one responsible was none other than a Monokuma teddy bear robot.

"But…But it's impossible!" Toko exclaimed. "Komaru and I, we…we destroyed all of those runts! The factory that created them was shut down and we made sure to destroy every single one of them!"

"Well, it seems that one of them survived." Tokaku commented.

"Uh, not just one of them…" Komaru added nervously.

Haru turned back, to discovered with horror that they were now surrounded by dozen of Monokumas.

"How is that possible…?" Toko mumbled with panic.

"Some of them must have left Towa City and Kenmochi-san most likely recovered them." Komaru said.

"She used to be the SMSL Hacker, so it's not impossible for her to be able to take control of them." Nio commented.

Komaru suddenly pulled out her microphone-looking gun, while Toko took out her taser.

"Go, we'll take care of them!" Naegi's sister told them.

"And I'll…unleash…my inner beast." Toko added before electrocuting herself and becoming Genocider Sho. "What is…ah, not again! I gonna slice them up, those fucking teddy bears!"

"Wait, we can't leave you alone with them! It's dangerous!" Haru protested.

"She's right, we need you and your weapon to neutralise Hanabusa-san." Nio commented.

"I was saying that because I'm worried for them…" Haru added.

"This is exactly because of my gun that I'm the only one who can do this. Those robots are hard to defeat without it." Komaru explained.

"And I ain't leaving Dekomaru alone with those things." Genocider added.

"Don't worry, I can take care of Hanabusa if she tried to attack us." Tokaku commented.

Haru hesitated for a moment, before leaving the area with her classmates, leaving Toko and Komaru handled the Monokumas. Since the elevator was now unusable, they went towards the stairs and began to climb them. But when they were about to arrive at the fourth floor, the door was blocked. They couldn't continue.

"Well, let's go back to the third floor to find another stairs." Tokaku proposed.

They all agreed and the former Myojo's students ventured on the third floor. After few minutes of search for another stairs, Haru spotted an elevator.

"Look! Another elevator's door! It look intact, maybe we could use it." Haru said.

"You're right, the Monokuma only destroyed the buttons of the one in the first floor. It would be faster than taking the stairs." Tokaku agreed.

But when they were about to approach the elevator, someone suddenly got into their way.

"So she's really here…" Nio said.

"…Hanabusa-san…" Haru mumbled.

Sumireko was facing them, few meters away from the group. The cyborg's eyes were still red and no apparent emotion was visible on her face.

"Is she…in Elimination Mode?" Nio asked. "I surely hope no…"

Hanabusa suddenly glanced at the blonde girl and the light in her eyes seemed to glow more.

"Despair detected. Not the greatest source of despair in the area. Priority is the find the strongest despair first. Need to take care of secondary source of despair later." Sumireko said robotically as she turned back and walk towards the elevator.

"Hanabusa-san, wait!" Haru shouted as she approached the cyborg.

"Haru, don't! She's dangerous!" Tokaku tried to stop her.

"Tokaku, stays where you are! She's not a threat. She's searching for despair, and there's not a single drop of despair in my mind right now."

The blue haired girl hesitated for a moment, before letting Haru go. The red-pinkish haired girl approached from Sumireko, who completely ignored her.

"Hanabusa-san, please stop! Listen to me! You can't kill Shiena-chan…"

But the cyborg still didn't listen and continued her way towards the elevator.

"Hana…Sumireko-san!" Haru shouted. "Stop! If you do that, you'll lose your humanity and let the despair win over you. That's not what Mahiru-san and Shinya-san would have wanted!"

This time, Sumireko stopped walking and turned back.

"Source of distraction detected. Analyse of potential threat." the cyborg said.

"Sumireko-san, it's me, Haru, your classmate. I'm not a threat."

"Analyse over. Not a threat. Regular civilian."

As Sumireko was about to walk away, Haru rushed towards her and grabbed her arm.

"No! I'm not a regular civilian, I'm your friend! So please listen to me and snap out of it!"

"Threat detected. Not despair. Regular civilian. Use of force not necessary. If threat persists, neutralising force will be allowed."

Due to Sumireko's lack of human's reactions, Haru had to use her last option in order to bring her humanity back. She pulled out from her pocket the strap Hanabusa made for Banba. Haru had managed to fix it, even if it was clearly visible that it had been broken once.

"Look at this!" Haru shouted. "Look at this and tell me that it means nothing to you!"

Sumireko looked at the strap with a stoic expression, but Haru was certain to have seen her expression tensed a little.

"It is…no weapon detected. Just an unimportant object." the cyborg said.

"That's not true! You made it for the girl you love! It was a precious relic for Mahiru-san. "

"That cannot be true. I am just a weapon, a robot. A machine cannot love. My only purpose is to eliminate despair."

"You're wrong!" Haru exclaimed. "You're not a machine, you're my precious classmate and my friend! You may be a cyborg, but you're not a robot, you're still human. Your love for Mahiru-san is the proof of your humanity. You're not a weapon either, you gave up on that kind of life remember? You didn't want to be the strongest anymore, to be a queen, because she didn't want to be alone, you wanted to be with Mahiru-san. You truly loved her. You didn't even want to be a survivor, you wanted to live your life like a normal person. You didn't want to take over your father's business, you had another dream, to open your own tea shop. All of this, your love, your dream, your hope, those are the proof that you are human, and you still are. So please, come back, and stop acting like a weapon."

Sumireko remained silent for a moment, before her eyes slowly became blue, to Haru's relief. The cyborg looked confused.

"Ichinose…san? What…are you doing here? Is that…my strap?"

"Sumireko-san, you're back!"

"Uh? Sumi…you are quite familiar with me, Ichinose-san. I am not sure if…"

Suddenly, the cyborg showed a painful expression and fell on her knees, before grabbing her own head.

"Sumireko-san!" Haru shouted. "What's wrong!?"

"Argh…I…do not know…it is like I am…about to enter…the Elimination Mode…"

"Upupu, all according to  _keikaku_ (plan)."

Haru suddenly noticed a screen, which the image of Shiena appeared on it. The SMSL Despair was sitting in a couch with a glass of red wine in her hand.

"Shiena-chan! What have you done to Sumireko-san?!"

"It would be too easy to tell you, I'll let you bastards guess by yourself." the brunette replied with a grin.

"Uh…that's Kenmochi-san!? She looks…quite different now." Nio commented.

"Oh, I see that Hashiri has joined the fun. It means that all Myojo's survivors are finally reunited. It's like a class reunion, don't you think?" Shiena said with a cruel smile. "You looked quite different too, kind of like a hobo. It suits the trash you are."

"No, that's wrong. I'm not a trash, I was the SMSL Illusionist!" Nio protested.

"Um, if you say so. Anyway, you still haven't answered my question."

" You…you're a hacker. You didn't simply hack and take control of the Monokumas, you…you hacked Sumireko-san!" Haru shouted.

"Good answer! You always had been so good during the class trials, so I'm not surprise, Ichinose. I'm not regular hacker, so yes, I hacked Hanabusa's chip."

Haru understood that it must be how Shiena managed to knock out Sumireko when they were at Myojo Academy. Suddenly, the cyborg rose up, with her eyes fully red.

"Mode Remotely Controlled activated." Sumireko said mechanically.

"Don't tell me…you're now fully controlling Hanabusa-san!?" Nio exclaimed.

"Yes. She's just now a remote control toy between my hands, or rather, a remote control weapon of destruction."

"Well, I'm out of here. Good luck with that." the blonde girl said as she ran towards the elevator.

No one tried to stop her and Nio went inside the elevator, before the doors closed behind her.

"That coward! Anyway, we don't need her. I'm well enough to deal with Hanabusa." Tokaku said.

"You think so? Well, let's see if you're as strong as you think, you virgin assassin!"

In split-second, Sumireko grabbed Tokaku and twisted one of her arms behind her back, before grabbed her head. The blue haired girl was unable to move, facing the screen.

"Tokaku! No! Leave her!" Haru pleaded.

"How about…no? I'm almost ready to broadcast my despair video, but first, I need to test it on someone. Who's better than Azuma to be my test subject?" Shiena declared with an evil grin.

"You…no! Please no! Don't brainwash Tokaku!"

Shiena disappeared from the screen and a clip from their killing game started to play. It showed Kouko being murdered by Otoya, with some weird sounds and light effect. The blue haired girl tried to break free, in vain. She couldn't do anything against the cyborg's force. Tokaku tried to look away from the screen, but Sumireko grabbed her chin and forced her to look at it.

"Haru! Run! Don't look at the screen!" Tokaku begged.

"No, I have to…"

"Close your eyes and don't listen! If we're both brainwash, nobody could stop Kenmochi!"

Reluctantly, Haru obeyed. She closed her eyes and put her hands over her ears so she couldn't hear anything. She wanted for few minutes before daring to open her eyes. The screen was now black, and Shiena's figure appeared once again on it.

"Tokaku…" Haru mumbled.

Sumireko released the blue haired girl. Haru couldn't see her face since she was showing her back to her.

"No, it can't be…Tokaku…!" Haru said desperately, with teary eyes.

"Yes, this is the expression I always wanted to see on your cute face, Ichinose. I always wanted to see your face twisted by pain and despair." Shiena said with a lustful expression. "It's so…arousing, to see such an optimistic girl being so desperate."

"Shiena-chan, please, I'm begging you, stop that madness! It isn't you, you're just brainwashed. Woke up!" Haru pleaded hopelessly.

"It's too late for me. I already surrendered my soul to despair. And I warned you, didn't I? That if you tried to get in my way, I wouldn't hesitate to kill you. I think that being killed by a despairful Azuma is the fitting fate for the sickeningly faithful girl you are. After that, I'll use both Hanabusa and Azuma to spread even more despair. Well, it's time for me to start the broadcasting. Enjoy your last seconds of living, even if I'm sure Azuma won't kill you too quickly. When you'll be in the other world, say hello to our classmates for me. Sayonara! Upupu."

Haru remained motionless. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure how to handle the current situation. Suddenly, Tokaku turned back and gazed at her stoically. She then began to slowly approach Haru.

"Tokaku…you can't be…a SHSL Despair, right? Please, Tokaku, tell me that you aren't brainwash…"

The blue haired girl remained quiet as she continued to walk towards her. She then stopped right in front of Haru, still emotionless.

"Tokaku…I love you. And you love me too. I've faith in you and our love, this is why I know that you would never hurt me."

Her girlfriend suddenly raised her fist, but Haru remained still. She was convinced that Tokaku could never try to harm her, and had faith in her. This is why she didn't intent to fight back.

Suddenly, in a speed that almost looked superhuman, Tokaku rushed towards Sumireko and made fall multiple big and heavy wardrobes on her. The cyborg fell on the ground, trapped under the wardrobes. The blue haired girl then went back to Haru and kissed her. The kiss was quick, but still soft and sweet.

"Tokaku, you…you're not brainwash!?"

"No, I'm totally my usual self."

"So the despair video…isn't working?"

"No, I don't think it's the case. If must be…because of your power."

"What…what do you mean?"

"When you used your queen bee ability on me, you ordered me to never fall into despair. That must be why I'm immune to the despair video. Your power saved me, Haru."

Haru was relieved, and even happy. She always had felt guilty to have used her ability on Tokaku, but this time, she was glad she did. Not only it saved Tokaku's live back then, it also prevent the girl she loved to fall into despair and be brainwashed.

Suddenly, the wardrobes began to move.

"Hanabusa, she'll get free soon. Leave, I'll take care of her." Tokaku said.

"What? No! She's too strong, she'll kill you…"

"No she won't. Don't you remember? You also ordered me to never die. So I won't let myself being killed. If we leave together, she'll eventually catch us and hurt you. I can't allow that. I need to stay behind and make sure she won't be a threat to you. Don't forget that you also ordered me to protect you."

"But…"

"Don't worry about me, have faith into my capacities! And I've faith that you'll be able to stop Kenmochi alone."

"…Ok. I'll have faith in you. But don't kill her, ok? Unless it's for self-defence and it's your only way to remain alive."

"I promise. I didn't intend to kill her. Now go, she's about to get free!"

The wardrobes suddenly broke, and Sumireko stood up. Tokaku rushed towards her and a fight began. With some regrets, Haru ran towards the elevator and push the button. As she went inside, she was surprised to discover that someone was inside.

"Nio!?"

"Ah, finally! I was about to leave you behind." the blonde girl said.

"I thought you abandoned us."

"Well…kinda. I just came here to hide, but I decided to stay a little and wait for you. Anyway, it's time to go see Kenmochi-san. Where's Azuma-san?"

"She's keeping Sumireko-san's busy."

"She's gonna die, you know?"

"No she won't! Because I asked her to not!"

"Uh…you know that there's a limit with your ability?"

"It's not only because of that. I've faith in her, and if Tokaku says that she won't die, then I believe her."

Nio showed an amused smirk.

"If you say so. Well, let's go!"

* * *

The elevator's doors opened when they arrived at the last floor. Haru and Nio exited it and walked few steps. Shiena was sitting on a couch, with a laptop on her thighs. She raised her head and looked at them with an annoyed and displeased look.

"You…ugh…I should have seen it coming. As expected from the SMSL Survivor, or should I say the SHSL Queen? You're quite an unpredictable person, Ichinose. It's hard even for my analytic skills to guess what you're capable of." Shiena said.

"It's over, Shiena-chan. I won't let you make the world fall into despair. Please, give up. It might not be too late for you. We might be able to cure you."

"Have you even thought that maybe I didn't want to be cured, that I could be happier the way I am now?" Shiena began to say. "The person I was before was weak and pathetic. Always getting bullied because she was too weak to defend herself, a victim who deserved everything she got…"

"That's wrong! The Shiena-chan I know is kind and selfless, she didn't deserve anything bad that happened to her. And I know she still exist somewhere in you, this is why I won't give up on you! You may think that you're happier, but it's just an illusion. Shiena-chan would never be happy by hurting others."

"Hope is an illusion. Despair is the truth."

"You're wrong! Hope is true, it's what gives the courage to people to pursue their dreams. Despair only makes people think that they can't achieve anything. This is the true deception, not hope."

"Shut up! I thought that too, but hope failed me. It crushed my dream into pieces, and only despair made me realised how rotten hope is. This is why I've to do this, so everyone in the world could be free from this awful hope!"

The brunette began to furiously type on her laptop's keyboard. Haru noticed that the laptop was plugged to various equipment that seemed related to the broadcasting studio.

"What…what are you doing?" Haru asked, worried.

"Finishing to hack every TV channels and computers around the world so I could broadcast my despair video worldwide." Shiena replied calmly.

"What!? I can't believe that! You may be a good hacker, but that's just too much…" Nio reacted.

"Haha…'good hacker' huh…I'M NO MERE GOOD HACKER YOU FOOL, I WAS THE SMSL HACKER!" Shiena shouted angrily, before showing a grin. "Well, I admit that hacking the entire world was way more tough than just hacking Myojo and every students' cellphone, but still, it took me a lot of time. What do you think I was doing all this time while you were uh…rebuilding the world?"

"What…what are you talking about!? I know you were trying to hack the academy, but what do you mean by students' cellphones?" Nio asked.

"Isn't obvious? How do you think they all saw the despair video at the same time? It's because I hacked the school system and found everyone's cellphone number and sent them all the video!" the brunette revealed with a wicked smile.

Nio remained shocked for few seconds.

"That's impossible! You can't…"

"Of course I could! Don't forget that the students' cellphone were giving by Myojo Academy, so by hacking Myojo I had access to everyone's personal info. So it was quite easy to send them the video." Shiena confirmed with a merciless smirk. "If must have been painful for you Hashiri, to see all the students the chairwoman intrusted you, killing each other like that…it must have been quite despair-inducing, hehehe…HAHAHA!"

This time, the blonde girl looked furious.

"Shut up! Where is she? Where's Yuri-san? WHERE IS MY QUEEN!?" Nio shouted.

"Uh? Where's the chairwoman? Six feet under." Shiena replied coldly.

"What…what do you mean?"

"That's she dead, of course." Shiena added stoically.

Nio remained quiet for few seconds, before she looked utterly demolished and fell on her knees.

"No…no it can't be…you're lying, right? She can't be…dead…" Nio mumbled desperately.

"What I'm saying is the truth. With the illness she was suffering from, there's no way she's still alive now. Enoshima made sure of it." Shiena added without the slightness compassion.

"What…how can Enoshima-san…be related to her illness?" Nio asked with disbelief.

"Ah, did I say too much? Ah, whatever. I don't know the detail, but yes, Enoshima is the one who caused the chairwoman's illness. In fact, it never had been an illness to begin with. She was poisoned. A poison that can makes a lot of damage to internal organs. Even if the body eventually get rid of it, the damages are permanent and the victim don't have long to live after, couple of months at best. It's been more than a year now, so there's no way she would still be alive."

"You…you're lying!" Nio shouted. "Yuri-san, she was a survivor, the true queen! She could have never allowed herself to be poisoned!"

"She might have been a survivor when she was younger, but the woman she became wasn't. She was to use to be untouchable that she neglected to be wary of others anymore. She most have been to use to be protected by others and by her power to realise someone could have drop some poison in her coffee. I guess that it was Ikusaba who did it under Enoshima's order. She was the SHSL Soldier after all, and a mercenary, so she must have been able to do it. The point is, whatever they managed to poison her, the chairwoman is now dead."

Nio looked shocked for a moment, before she showed a pained and hopeless expression.

"Why…why did she do…such a thing!?" the blonde girl asked.

"Because she knew the chairwoman would be a threat to her plan. Enoshima needed to take control of Myojo Academy and Class Black to test her killing game, so she had to get rid of her, but without killing her instantly. Because otherwise, you would have been in grief and Class Black would have most likely been canceled. Enoshima wanted the students to remain in the class, and she needed you to make sure they would stay there by convincing you to postpone the game until the Tragedy happens, by giving you the hope that the chairwoman might come back. You always had been a pawn in her hands, a tool to make her plan a success. You had been completely fooled by her."

This time, Nio began to sob, which made Shiena giggled with satisfaction.

"Ah, to see a girl like you, who's usually so confident and prankster, and even sadistic, being in such despair is just so…turn on." the brunette said lustfully. "Ah, too bad Fukawa didn't come with you. I would have like to face Genocider Sho and being slice up by her scissors…just to think about it, it reminds me of my dear Otoya…it starting to make me wet."

Haru couldn't bear to witness such cruelty. It was unbearable to see Shiena being so evil and Nio in that state. She approached the blonde girl and crouched near her.

"Nio, don't listen to her! She's only trying to make you fall into despair! Don't lose hope!"

"What…what hope? I don't have any…Yuri-san was my hope, and she's dead…"

"Shiena-chan has no proof of that, she might be lying. You need to have faith in Yuri-san."

"I'm not lying. And what proof do you need? I already told you about the poison…" Shiena replied.

"You're wrong! This isn't a proof! You can't proof that you are telling the truth!" Haru protested. "Nio, she never said that she saw the corpse, she only assumed that she was dead."

"But the poison…if it's true, then she's dead…"

"'If' it's true. Shiena-chan might be lying right now just so she could hurt you. She's only trying to make you desperate, so matter if she had to lie or tell the truth. You can't trust her! Yuri-san is your queen, right? Well, I'm the one of Tokaku, and when I'm in danger, she feels it. Do you feel that Yuri-san is dead?"

"…No, but…"

"Then you must trust your guts! If she's your queen, then just like Tokaku is my knight, you are her knight. You need to have faith in yourself, faith in your guts as her knight! If she was dead, you would know. Have faith in Yuri-san's survival skills. You said it yourself. She's a survivor and a queen, and she's waiting for you. There's no way she would be dead!"

Nio raised her head and wiped her tears.

"You…you're right. I…I don't felt like Yuri-san is dead, she might be still alive. Until I saw her body, then I wouldn't believe that she's dead!" the blonde girl said with determination.

Haru helped Nio to get up.

"That's the spirit! If no corpse is found, then there's still a chance that she's alive somewhere. We just need to have faith and don't lose hope." Haru said.

"Ugh…your optimism and blind faith is starting to really piss me of." Shiena suddenly said.

A gunshot was heard. Nio uttered a groan of pain, before falling. Haru caught her just in time before she could hit the ground. Worried, Haru laid her classmate on the floor to see where she had been shot. Nio's leg was heavily bleeding. It wasn't a fatal injury, but if she lost too much blood, it might become fatal.

"Damn…my aim sucks." the brunette said. "Well, I still have a lot of bullets."

Haru noticed that Shiena was holding a gun and aiming at Nio. Immediately, she went in front of the blond girl and opened her arms.

"Shiena-chan, don't do that! You can't kill Nio!"

"What make you think that I'll hesitate to shoot you too, Ichinose?"

"Because we're friends! I still believe there's good in you, so I know that you wouldn't…"

The hacker shot. Haru closed her eyes for a brief instant. But strangely, Haru didn't feel any pain. She then realised with panic that there was someone who was in front of her. This person was hugging her and had blood coming from their back.

"Seriously? How lucky can you be…you're truly the SMSL Survivor…" Shiena commented with annoyance in her voice.

Haru realised with horror that the one who had been shot was Tokaku. The blue haired girl had a bullet wound in her back. Slowly, her girlfriend recoiled and looked at her with a pained expression.

"Haru…I got there…in time." she said weakly.

"No…Tokaku…you can't…"

"Ok that's enough. I'm tired of your pathetic love. It's time to finish both of you off!" the brunette said as she was about to shoot once again.

Tokaku used her last remaining strengths to rush towards Shiena and kicked her hand, which made her dropped the weapon. Tokaku then kicked the gun away and fell on the ground, while Haru rushed to knee near her.

"Tokaku, Tokaku, Tokaku!" Haru shouted with fear. "You can't die! I ordered you to never die!"

"You…you also ordered me…to protect you. So when a situation like that happens, when I've to choose between two orders, then I'm free…to choose what I want. And what I wanted was…to save you. Because I love you, Haru."

Tears began to fall from Haru's eyes, flowing on her cheek.

"I…I took care of Hanabusa. Well, not me, Naegi's friend arrived and he's keeping her busy. He also…gives me something…to cure Kenmochi." Tokaku whispered as she gave a cellphone to Haru. "The video on it…can undo…the brainwash of the despair video."

With sadness, Haru took the cellphone and turned back towards Shiena, who seemed quite worried.

"What…what are you talking about? I won't let you! I don't want to be cured! You won't take away the despair from be!" Shiena shouted furiously as she rushed towards them.

Haru immediately turned on the cellphone and showed the screen to the brunette. The latter continued to run towards her.

"NOOOO!" the hacker screamed desperately.

Shiena suddenly stopped running and remained still, with a lifeless expression on her face. Her eyes suddenly expressed dismay and tears began to roll on her cheek, before she uttered a scream of distress.

"WHAT!? NO, IT CAN'T BE…ARGH!" Shiena continued to scream like she was in a terrible pain.

"Shiena-chan…what's wrong?" Haru asked, worried.

The brunette continued to scream and cry for few seconds, before she showed a dead-inside gaze and a confused expression. Then, out of the blue, she burst into an insane laugh while her tears continued to flow.

"YES! This despair…is so…marvelous! I love it! Give me more! I want more despair!" Shiena said with a crazy expression.

"No…it didn't work…why?" Haru said.

"I…I don't know. This guy, he…he told me that this video…could erase the effect of the despair video's brainwash…" Tokaku said weakly. "Which means that Kenmochi isn't…"

"No, it can't be true, there must be a mistake, a misunderstanding…!" Haru said hopelessly.

"I'm afraid that it's the truth. The despair video you're talking about…I never saw it! I'm not brainwashed, I chose to fall into despair from my own free will, because I realised how much hope sucks, thanks to Enoshima." Shiena said. "And now, thanks to this video, I feel even more despair! Thank you so much, Ichinose."

Haru couldn't believe it. So Shiena was never brainwashed, she wasn't a victim of Junko. She chose from her own free will to commit all those atrocities. Haru felt that she was slowly falling into despair.

"Well, I think it's time for me to finally broadcast my own video! As respect for Azuma's sacrifice, I'll allow you to live to witness the despairful world I'm about to create." Shiena said while she was about to search in her left pocket, before suddenly changed her mind and looked into the right one.

Shiena pulled out a white USB key and walked away, towards a big computer. Haru noticed that Tokaku's eyes were now closed and that her body felt…limp. This time, Haru began to sob.

"No…Tokaku…you can't…"

Haru then spotted the gun near her. She then looked at Shiena and for the first time in her life, Haru felt…hatred, towards someone. She took the weapon and suddenly aimed at the brunette.

"You…Stop right there! Or…I'll shoot you!" Haru shouted furiously.

Shiena stopped for a moment and turned her head. She showed a slight smile that almost looked sad.

"Then you'll have to shoot me, because I don't intend to stop." the brunette said as she once again walked towards the broadcasting machine.

Haru's hands began to shake as she hesitated to shoot. She was angry at Shiena, but at the same time, she couldn't shot a classmate. Not after all those who died. But, if she don't, then the despair video will be broadcast and the world will once again fall into despair, which will caused even more death.

Shiena introduced the USB key into the computer and a counter appeared on the screen. If she shot Shiena right now, she would have time to rush towards the USB key and removed it before the video finish to upload.

There was only ten seconds remaining. Haru put her finger on the trigger, ready to shoot. But before she pulled it, she suddenly remembered some details that felt odds. And then, Haru finally understood the truth and lowered the gun.

The video finished uploading and the screen turned on, while Haru looked at it with disbelief and consternation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad end?
> 
> You'll see next week for the final chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, I had to postpone this chapter because I've to many things to finish before christmas! So the final chapter is your gift! Merry Christmas to all of you (or Happy Holiday for those of you who celebrate something else than christmas) and I hope you'll enjoy the last chapter!

Haru looked with dismay at what was on the screen. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing. It was absolutely not what she was expecting to see. She remained still while gazing at the screen, unable to look away from those images.

It was so fluff, a true paradise of cuteness. What Shiena had uploaded worldwide was a compilation of the cutest and silliest cat videos. All those videos were about either cute kittens or silly cats. It was far from being the despair video Haru thought it would be. Those videos had nothing to do with their killing game. Haru continued to gaze at the screen, amazed by how cute it was.

"You…why didn't you shoot me…?" Shiena asked.

"Because…I have faith in you." Haru replied.

"…really? You're dumber that I thought then."

"Maybe, but I was right. You didn't try to make the world fall into despair."

"Did you really put the fate of the world in the hands of your silly faith!?"

"Not exactly. Yes I have faith in you, but in the real you. Not your despair self. This is why I didn't shoot. Because I knew that you were the Shiena-chan I know."

Suddenly, the brunette turned back, with tears falling from her eyes.

"What…what do you mean by that? The me you knows…has always be the same. The despair I caused…was from my own free will! I'm the same person who planned our killing game, the same who shot Azuma…!"

"You're wrong! This person, the despairful Shiena, she doesn't exist anymore. You were only brainwashed, and the video Tokaku showed you cured you!"

"No! That's not true! I'm still the same…you have no proof!"

"Yes I've! The reaction you had…yes, it was a despairful reaction, but…there's no way a video like that would have cause that! You were feeling despair yes, but not because of the video. The despair you felt was because of the guilt! You felt bad for what you did, because you weren't brainwashed anymore!

"Wrong…it's wrong…you're wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG!" Shiena shouted.

"No, I'm right! Avatar showed us some clips from our killing game. I saw your reaction when you discovered that you killed Mizorogi-sensei, that you were the traitor, the SMSL Despair! You were honestly freaked out by that, there's no way an already despairful person would have react that way! It's the proof that the real Shiena-chan is not that kind of person! Otherwise you wouldn't have erased your own memory to become good again!"

"Those aren't proves, you're just basing your judgement on my reaction, that's not enough!" Kenmochi protested.

"Then why did you purposefully used the wrong USB key?"

Shiena suddenly became quiet and gazed at Haru with a shocked and even worried expression.

"What…what do you mean, the wrong USB key? I didn't…"

"The USB key you used…isn't the same you showed us when you called us! I remember correctly, it was a black USB key. The one you used right now is a white one!" Haru exclaimed.

"That…that doesn't mean anything! Maybe I just showed you a fake one to trick you!"

"No that's wrong! Because, you tried at first to take something from your left pocket, but then you switched for the right one! Which means that you had two different USB keys on yourself!"

"And? It only proves that I might have confused them by accident…"

"You're wrong! There's no way you would have done that by accident, not with two different colors…you mixed them up purposefully…and the fact you chose the one with the cat videos rather than the despair video prove that you aren't brainwashed anymore!"

"No, no, no, NO! Shut up! You're wrong, I'm not…then why did I have a second USB key?! You can't explain why? So you can't prove it! I took the wrong USB key by accident, that's it!"

Shiena really didn't want to admit the truth. Haru knew that she was right about the brunette, and she had to make her acknowledge the truth.

"The SMSL Despair prepared two different USB keys, with two distinct colors, to not mix them up." Haru began to explain. "One of them was the black one, with the despair video on it, the one she planned to use. The other one was a white USB key, with a compilation of cat videos. The latter had been prepared as a dummy, in case we managed to catch her. She would have pretended that it was the right one tot rick us, and then used the black one. But her plan got ruined when she saw the anti-brainwash video. After that, the one known as the SMSL Despair changed her mind and used the dummy one instead, because she wasn't a SHSL Despair anymore! She's now Kenmochi Shiena-chan, the Super Middle School Level Hacker, and the one who was meant to become the Super High School Level Dramatist!"

Any trace of opposition had disappeared from Shiena's face. Only sadness and guiltiness was visible, as well as despair…but not the sick desire of despair, true despair, over the things she had committed. Tears flowed even more from her eyes.

"And all of this, I understood it thanks to my faith in you, Shiena-chan. I knew it, when you looked at me with that sad smile, almost begging me to shoot you, that you were the Shiena-chan I know, my classmate, and my friend." Haru said while beginning to walk towards the brunette.

"No, please, don't come near me…"

"Don't worry, Shiena-chan. I'm not mad at you. It wasn't your fault. You were only brainwashed. You're a victim too. The only responsible for that is Enoshima Junko."

"Don't say that…it's all my fault, I'm an awful person…please, don't come any closer!"

Haru didn't listen to her and kept walking towards her, until she arrived in front of Shiena and stopped. She then stretched out her hand and offered a kind smile.

"Let's leave this place together. It's not too late for you, Shiena-chan."

"You…your optimism is…disgusting. You can't know how I feel…you can't understand me…you'll never so…leave alone! I don't deserve your kindness…"

"No, I won't. Because I'm your friend, I want to help you…"

"Shut up! You should have killed me, I want to die, but you didn't even pull the fucking trigger! I hate you!"

Suddenly, Shiena raised her fist in a threatening way. Too surprised, Haru didn't react quickly enough. The hacker punched her in the face, which made Haru fell on the floor. Shiena then went on top of her and pummeled her.

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! Ichinose, you're a moron! After all I've done, I deserve to die! You just had to pull the trigger and everything would be over! You and your stupid faith…you ruined everything!"

While Shiena continued to punch her, Haru managed, despite the pain, to stretch her arm and put her hand in the brunette's left pocket, and succeeded to grab what she was looking for.

"Shiena-chan, please…stop. It hurts…" Haru managed to say weakly.

The brunette stopped pummeling her. Her fists were soiled by blood, and Haru guessed that her face was probably not pretty to look at now. Shiena immediately looked ashamed by what she had done.

"Ichinose…I…I'm so sorry, I…this is why I should die, I'm dangerous…I'm still a SHSL Despair…"

"Then explain this."

Haru suddenly showed her what she had found in her pocket. It was the black USB key, the one that contained the despair video. Shiena looked at it with dismay.

"You…"

"I was right after all. You had both USB keys on you. And you purposefully chose the wrong one because you didn't want to make the world fall into despair, because you aren't the SMSL Despair anymore!"

Haru then showed a friendly smile, despite the pain and the blood on her face. Shiena began to sob and her tears fell on Haru's face.

"No…no you're wrong, I'm…I'm evil…so please…kill me…"

"I won't do that. Because you're not evil. You're a good person Shiena-chan, and you're my friend."

Even more tears fell from the brunette's eyes. Suddenly, Haru heard the elevator's doors opened, followed by heavy footsteps.

"Ichinose-san…what…what happened here!?"

Haru recognised Sumireko's voice. The cyborg must have witnessed a quite gruesome scene. Tokaku was inert on the floor with a bullet wound in her back, Nio was bleeding heavily from her injury, and Haru had been beaten up.

"Kenmochi-san, you…you did this!?" Hanabusa shouted angrily,

Shiena suddenly stood up and a wicked smile that Haru knew was fake appeared on her face.

"Well, of course! After all, I'm the SMSL Despair! Upupu! Ah, we finally had our class reunion, with all the remaining survivors…"

"You…you are unredeemable, I will eliminate you like I should have done when I had the occasion!" Sumireko declared.

"Yes, finally someone who can think logically! Come at me, come try to kill me if you can, just like I caused Banba's death!"

After hearing those words, the cyborg immediately rushed towards Shiena with clear killing intents. Haru couldn't let that happen. She knew that Shiena only provoked her so she would kill her. But Haru won't let something like that happen. With her last remaining strengths and despite the pain, Haru rose up and put herself in Hanabusa's way. Sumireko's fist was almost about to hit her in the face, which would probably killed her instantly. But in the last second, Sumireko stopped herself.

"Ichinose-san!? Why…get out of my way! I need to kill her…"

"No! Please Sumireko-san, don't kill her! She's not brainwashed anymore, she's only provoking her because she wants to die…"

"Really? It doesn't matter. If she wants to die, I will gladly finish her off."

Haru immediately pushed Sumireko away.

"No! I won't let you kill her! She's our classmate! There's already too much of us who died, who killed each other in that sick killing game, so please…don't add another murder to all of those that happened. I can't bear to see another one of my classmate being killed by another classmate, it would be just too despairful! So please Sumireko-san, I'm begging you, don't killed Shiena-chan!" Haru said while crying.

At first, Hanabusa looked furious, but as soon as Haru began to cry, she looked kind of sad and calmed down. She glanced at Tokaku and some pity appeared on her face. Haru noticed that the cyborg eyes had remained blue all the time.

"You…how did you…freed yourself from the Remote Control Mode?" Haru suddenly asked.

"It is…Naegi's friend, he…deactivated my chip." Sumireko replied.

"You…both of you…you're so disappointing. Looks like I'll have to do the dirty work by myself." Shiena suddenly said.

As soon as she had said that, the brunette rushed towards the elevator and went inside, before the doors closed behind her.

"Shiena-chan!? Where is she going?" Haru asked worriedly.

"According to the floor's counter, she's going to the roof floor." Sumireko replied.

Haru had a terrible feeling about that. The Hope's Peak's former students suddenly arrived, with Komaru too.

"Ah…what happened here!?" Hagakure exclaimed.

"Is she…is she dead?" Toko asked.

Haru sadly nodded her head. In a comforting gesture, Komaru put her hand on her shoulder.

"Shiena-chan…she was brainwashed all along. But now she isn't. But she's overwhelmed by guiltiness, and she wants to die…she's going on the roof floor right now. We have to stop her!" Haru said.

"Are…are you sure? She…she killed your…" Toko began to say.

"She's still my classmate! And it wasn't her fault, she was brainwashed…" Haru replied.

"Ichinose-san is right. The only responsible is Enoshima Junko. So we need to go save Kenmochi-san before she does something unthinkable!" Naegi said.

Nio tried to get up, but with her injury she couldn't. Sumireko approached Hashiri to help her.

"Go, I'll stay with her. Anyway, if I come with you, I'll most likely try to kill her again." the cyborg said.

After few seconds of hesitation, they went towards the stairs and climbed until they reached the rooftop. Shiena was there, near the edge of the roof. Haru immediately rushed towards her.

"Shiena-chan, don't!" Haru shouted.

"It's too late, Ichinose. I'm sorry for everything. I would have wanted you to kill me when you still think I'm a SHSL Despair, to spare you the guilt of killing me. But it's too late for that too. So I'm sorry if my death pain you, but I've not choice. After all the horrors I've done…I must die to atone. I can't live with the crimes I've committed. I must die and let the last remaining despair disappear with me."

"No, you're wrong, Kenmochi-san!" Naegi suddenly said. "Killing yourself won't end the despair, it'll only create more of it! Suicide isn't a good option. Nothing was your fault, you were only brainwashed, you're a victim of Enoshima Junko! You can't lose hope…"

"Shut up with your stupid hope, you hope maniac!" Shiena replied angrily. "All I said about hope, I mean it, even now I loathe hope! It's because of that if I ended up being a SHSL Despair, if I let…Enoshima toyed with me, with my mind and…my body. Her video brainwashed me because she managed to sincerely make me hate hope! I always had been a despairful person, who lied to herself about hope to protect my silly dream! Enoshima only makes me realise how rotten I always had been, how much despair I had in me…this is why I need to die, I'm still a threat to the world! I'm still feeling despair! You really think that you only needed to cancel the brainwashing effect to cure me? Don't fuck with me! Even if I was brainwashed, I still remember all the atrocities I've done with the feeling I did them! I killed my teacher, I made thousands of students committed suicide, I help Enoshima destroyed the world, and I forced my classmates to kill each other! The one I loved died because of me, my friends too, my classmates…I can't live with that burden, with that guiltiness…so please, just kill me already, free me from my burden…"

For few seconds, everyone remained quiet. Shiena giggled in a bitter way.

"Of course, no one wants to kill me…how pathetic. But maybe it's for the best. I wouldn't want you to feel bad for killing me, or to dirty your hands with the miserable being I am. I don't deserve to make you feel that way…I should take my responsibility and take my life myself." Shiena declared.

"No, stop! Shiena-chan, please, don't kill yourself!" Haru begged desperately.

"I'm sorry, Ichinose, to make you feel that way. But it's for the best, trust me. Thanks for your friendship and your faith in me, even though…I don't deserve it."

Shiena closed her eyes and let herself fall from the rooftop. Haru rushed towards her, but it was too late. The hacker was already falling to her death. Haru fell on her knees, hopeless, while she began to sob.

"Shiena-chan, no…it can't be…not you too…" Haru mumbled as she began to cry.

Everyone seemed pretty sad by how the situation ended. Suddenly, someone who seemed to be coming from downstairs jumped on the roof, while holding someone else. Haru saw that the one who jumped was none other than Sumireko, who was holding…Shiena!

"Sumireko-san, Shiena-chan!" Haru exclaimed with relief.

The cyborg let the brunette fell on the roof. Shiena immediately rose up, clearly pissed.

"Why have you saved me!? I deserve to die, I want to die…have you forget what I've done? Banba died because of me!" the hacker said.

"Your provocations won't work on me anymore." Sumireko replied. "You don't deserve to die and end your misery. You deserve to live with the burden of your crimes, with the despair you caused…"

"Shut up! You don't get to decide what I do with my life! If I want to die, then let me…" Shiena tried to add.

Suddenly, Sumireko grabbed Shiena's right hand and crushed it. An awful noised of bone crushing could be heard. The brunette let out a cry of pain, before falling on the ground while grabbing her right arm. The cyborg had broken her hand.

"Sumireko-san…!?" Haru exclaimed.

"Kenmochi-san, stop acting like such a coward." Hanabusa began to say. "If you want to atone for your crime, to prove how sorry you are, then you have to live. Your death will bring nothing good. You have to live with despair and overcoming it, like I will do. Both of us had fell into despair in our own way, and by respect for those who died, we need to stay alive."

"But…it's too painful…to live after what I've done…" Shiena weakly said between two sobs.

"More painful than your broken hand?"

"…no…that hurt like hell! Why did you do that!?"

"Because this way, you will be more focus on your physical pain to think about your emotional one. So if you feel like killing yourself again because living is too painful, be sure that I will break your other hand. I will break as many bones I need to make you want to live again."

Shiena looked utterly terrified by Sumireko's threat. The hacker remained lying on the roof, sobbing. Haru wasn't sure she approved how Hanabusa handled the situation, but at least Shiena was still alive.

"Hanabusa-san, let me take care of her." a masculine voice suddenly said.

Haru turned back, to discover that a rather tall boy with short brown hair was now there.

"Who…who are you?" Haru asked.

"He's the friend I was talking about." Naegi said.

The brown haired boy approached Shiena and kneeled near her.

"What…who are you? What do you want from me?" Shiena asked with fright.

"No need to be afraid of me, I'm here to help you. My name's Hinata Hajime, but you probably know me as Kamukura Izuru."

"Kamukura…the SHSL Hope!? The one who possess all talents, the being created by Hope's Peak…the one who kil…was framed about the death of the council student's members…" Shiena said.

"Yes, it's me. I was also a former Remnant of Despair, just like my classmates, until we were rescued by Naegi-kun. Just like you, we used to be SHSL Despair…but we managed to overcome the despair. So it's not too late for you, trust me. I can help you, but you need to accept my help and want from yourself to get better."

"You mean…that they might still have hope…even for someone like me?" the brunette whispered.

"That…only you can find the answer." Hajime replied.

With a weak glimpse of hope in her eye, Shiena cried one again, still on the floor.

Everything seemed to have end for the better. Shiena was no longer the SMSL Despair, Sumireko didn't want to kill her anymore, and the world was saved. Well, everything was for the better, except one thing.

" _Tokaku…_ " Haru thought with sadness.

"Ichinose-san…?"

The red-pinkish haired girl turned back, to see that it was Hajime who was talking to her.

"Ah, Hinata-kun, right? What do you want?"

"One of my many talents is to be a surgeon. I found your friend who was injured by a bullet and took care of her wound. Her life is no longer in danger."

"My friend…? You mean…Nio? A short girl with blonde hair?"

"Uh? Oh, yes, I took care of her too. I didn't know she was also your friend though."

"Of her too? You didn't know…what do you mean?"

"I see. So I was wrong. Well, why don't you see by yourself, Ichinose-san? Look behind you." Hajime said with a kind smile.

Haru wasn't sure to understand. She then heard a familiar voice called her by her first name behind her, in the doorframe.

"Haru!"

The red-pinkish haired girl immediately turned back. When she discovered who it was, her heart was filled with the purest hope and her eyes were wet by tear of joys as she ran towards the person who made her so happy.

"Tokaku!" Haru exclaimed with happiness and relief, before she softly kissed her girlfriend on her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I guess it's a happy ending? The five survivors are all alive and well...most of them. Tokaku wasn't dead, but everyone was too busy to check her vitals so they all assume that she was...Suzu wouldn't be proud.
> 
> So, are you satisfied with this ending? Don't worry, I'll also do an epilogue to conclude every characters' fate! See you next time and thanks to all of you for your support! Have a nice day :)


	13. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! First of all let me wish you a happy new year! I wish you all happiness for the year 2018 ^^
> 
> This is the epilogue, as well as the last chapter of Dangan Riddle! It's a really one. I initially wanted to make it shorter, but it ended up being huge while writing it because I wanted to give a proper end for every characters. I hope you'll like how it end!
> 
> Warning: Allusion to implied sexual abuses and rape.

Haru could barely believe with who she was right now. When Togami informed her of a secret benefactor of Future Foundation, Haru had recognised the description of a certain person she was looking for. According to what he found, this person asked to remain anonymous and their identity was kept a secret by the high-ranked members of Future Foundation. But with the dissolution of the organisation, Togami had managed to find out a file about this mysterious benefactor, as well as a physical description. Only their name was left out, but it was well enough for Haru to deduce who it might be.

This is how Haru ended up paying a visit to this person in a high secured hospital of Japan, who was the property of Future Foundation. Even after the dissolution of the organisation, the staff there maintained the hospital active, for the sake of the many patients.

"So…this is all that happened." Haru said, after she had explained everything that occurred between the moments she started to attend Class Black until the defeat of the SMSL Despair, as well as some important events that happened before, like how Junko managed to take control of Myojo.

The benefactor had listened quietly, lying in a hospital bed. It was a middle aged woman with long chestnut hair and a sickly appearance.

"I see…thank you for your recap, Ichinose-san." Yuri said weakly.

The chairwoman looked terrible. Her face was livid and she had heavy dark circles under her eyes. She really looked like some who was about to die in any second. But despite that, Yuri still had somehow her usual charisma and her professional vibe.

"So now that you heard everything, it's your turn to explain us your side of the story. Why did you pretend to be the mastermind? Why did you ask us to find you? And how did you become Future Foundation's benefactor?" Haru asked.

Before replying anything, Yuri looked at both Haru and Tokaku with an interrogative expression.

"First, I would like to know why there are only you two here? Didn't you say that five of you survived from Class Black?" the chairwoman asked.

"Oh, uh...well, after what she had done, Shiena-chan didn't...feel comfortable with meeting you."

"Kenmochi-san...I must admit that I still have some difficulties to actually believe that she was the one behind the Class Black's killing game. But if what you said about Enoshima Junko is true, then she was only brainwashed into doing those things. Even if I don't think I could fully forgive her, I wouldn't have been mad at her if she was here."

"Shiena-chan...wasn't really the one behind it. Enoshima Junko is the sole responsible." Haru replied. "And about the others...Sumireko-san would have want to come, but...she wanted to stay near Shiena-chan, in case that she tried to...kill herself, again. But she had a message for you. She wanted to thank you, for everything you've done to her, and that she had found something else she wanted more than being a queen."

"How surprising. She was among the rare people I would have wanted in my clan...well, if she found something else that can make her happy and a new purpose in life, good for her. It's quite unexpected though...well, I always found her to be an interesting girl, so I'm not disappointed. I would have wanted to see her new cyborg form though..." Yuri began to say. "And what about Nio...san?"

"She...should be here soon. After all, she was the one the most eager to find you." Haru said.

"Let's say the feeling is mutual." Yuri said with a smile that seemed sincere. "So, I guess it's my turn to answer questions. I had planned to take care of the Class Black event despite my recent alliance with Hope's Peak Academy. The 13 participants had already been chosen, but I still managed to give you all a SMSL talent that pleased Hope's Peak. After all, the people I choose as assassins always have a particular skill or two. But unfortunately, right before the beginning of Class Black, I contracted an unknown illness...which now I know was a poison. I was most likely poisoned by Ikusaba Mukuro under the order of Enoshima Junko. Ikusaba-san was one of those who were invited to attend Class Black, but she had to refuse because she was already accepted to Hope's Peak. I heart she came back once with her younger sister to visit Myojo, I assume that they used it as an opportunity to poison me. How pathetic of me, being fooled by two teenagers...even if one of them was a powerful mercenary. My survival skills must be rusty. Anyway, when I began to be sick I had to leave Myojo Academy to receive treatments, but I couldn't let the academy and Class Black unsupervised. So I decided to put Nio-san in charge and asked her to impersonate me to not let know to my enemy that I was vulnerable. Then I supposed Enoshima-san had planned this and used it to fool Nio-san and take control of the academy and Class Black."

"This...we pretty much already know all that. Hashiri explained it to us. What we want to know is what happened after that, after the Tragedy." Tokaku commented.

"Oh, I see…well, at first I was in a hospital administrated by Myojo Academy, but I suddenly got transferred against my will to a hospital in Towa City. It was right after the riot started because of the Tragedy of Hope's Peak. It thought at first that it was because it wasn't safe anymore to stay near Myojo, but after I read in the newspaper that almost the entire Class Black had been kidnapped, I understood that something was wrong with this situation. I tried to leave the hospital but I couldn't. I was kept there like a prisoner. It took me a while to fully understand my predicament. I was nothing more than a hostage in the mastermind's plan, to force Nio-san to cooperate with her twisted game. I had received an IPad that broadcasted me the killing game you were into. It was probably an attempt from Enoshima-san to bring me despair. The only thing she managed to cause me to feel was bitterness and regret. But I still had hope, hope that some of you survived, especially you Ichinose-san. This is why she failed to make me despaired. When the killing game was over, I had the possibility to call on Monokuma's screen to talk to you."

"And this is when you pretended to be the mastermind and asking us to find you. Why?" Haru asked.

"Because…I needed to give you a purpose, a reason to live, to keep fighting, in the despairful world. I wanted you to survive, and I was afraid that if you went against Enoshima-san, something bad would have happened to you. You were my only hope of restoring my clan, I didn't want you to get killed foolishly. And I guess then it was also because of my pride, I didn't want at that time to admit that I've been a mere hostage all along. I also wanted to protect Nio-san. By pretending that I was the mastermind, you would have only thought that Nio-san assisted me because she was forced to, because of my Queen Bee ability."

"So it was for our sake, just like I thought." Haru said. "And then? How did you meet Future Foundation?"

"When I was still at the Towa City's hospital, even if I was a prisoner and a hostage, I was still receiving a treatment for my illness. During the killing game I was still too weak to escape, but I eventually recovered enough to get my ability back and used it in order to escape. But as soon as I left Towa City, my condition worsen and I was about to die. I got ambushed by some SHSL Despairs. I was rescued by Future Foundation's members. This is how I met Munakata Kyosuke. He knew who I was, he saw in me a potential ally. So I decided to use my wealth and resources to help him in his cause, I became Future Foundation's benefactor in order to defeat the SHSL Despair, to…get my revenge against Enoshima-san. Since my condition was atrocious, they put me in one of their hospital and I asked to remain anonymous, for my safety. I guess this is why it was so hard for you to find me. I would have wanted to talk with you, but I ended up in a coma slightly after I was interned here. It's not since a long time I'm awake."

Haru understood now. So Yuri was never part of the SHSL Despair and an ally of Junko, just like she always thought. Just like them, the chairwoman had been a victim in Junko's ploy, she had be toyed by her and used as a pawn in her twisted game. Although, Haru found that Yuri seemed different from the ruthless woman she thought that she was. The chairwoman she heard about was a merciless person who didn't hesitate to eliminate anything that was in her way, a true survivor and a brutal queen, someone who wouldn't bother to care about others than herself. Maybe those things were true about her before the Tragedy, but they didn't seem to be the case right now. Maybe the fact that Yuri had lost her academy, her students, her clan and even her health, had brought back some humanity in her. Haru really sympathised with her, even though she was one of the person responsible for the terrible situation Haru had been since she's a child.

"And now, how's...your current state? Shiena-chan told us that the poison used on you wasn't immediately lethal, but that the damages caused by it were. She said that you were supposed to have couple of months of living, but...it's been more than a year since you were poisoned."

"I see, so I should be dead by now. I guess it's my determination to at least saw those I asked to find me once last time before dying that keeps me alive. Or maybe my Queen Bee ability allowed me to be more resilient. Whatever the reason is, I'm afraid that I don't have long to live. The doctors are still unsure of how long I've to live, but according to them, it's true that I should be already dead. So they can't predict when I'll die exactly, my case is too unusual for them I suppose."

"So...you won't get better? You...you'll die?" Haru asked sadly.

"It seems that it'll be the case. I don't feel like that I've much time left to live. This is why…I'm happy to see that you found me. I know that you must hate me, and our clan, for putting you into a terrible situation since the moment you're born. I won't say that I'm sorry, because this is the way of our clan and I've been there before. But I would understand if you couldn't forgive me." Yuri began to say. "But still, I still have a request for you. I'm asking you this as a woman who had almost lost everything she cared about. I've to admit that you are my last remaining hope, Ichinose-san. You're the reason that kept me from falling into despair after all that happened to me. You represent the only hope of restoring my clan, our clan, in your own way. Everything had been destroyed, you can rebuilt it with new foundations if you want. As long as you're alive, then our clan has a change to survive, even after all the despair we went through. This is why I make you my heir, Ichi…no, Haru-san. Everything that belonged to me belongs now to you. Well, for what is left."

"I…I don't hate you. You know, for me, the fact that you survived for so long despite the odd must means something. That you were forgiven, that you couldn't die until you had at least meet me and Nio one last time. You were giving that chance because you were forgiven. That's what I believe in, I believe in forgiveness. So I forgive you, I don't hold any grudge against you. I'm not sure that I'm able to rebuild the clan, or if I want to, but I'll think about it."

"Well I guess that all I can do now is hope that you will, at least I can die with this hope and never have so witness it if it doesn't became a reality. At least you have proven yourself to be a true survivor, you'll have done a wonderful SHSL Sur…no, it's true, that's not your title anymore, I gave you another one. You're the SHSL Queen now. The title I would have wanted to have when I was studying at Hope's Peak Academy."

"Uh? You used to study at Hope's Peak?" Haru asked with disbelief.

"After I had won my own Class Black, I was invited at Hope's Peak as the SHSL Survivor. Since I desire to take some vacation from Myojo and that it would have gave me more prestige, I accepted and finished my high school at Hope's Peak. But unlike you, I was…a lonely queen. You're not the same as me. I used to think that my solitude makes me stronger, but I think that I might have been wrong. You're lucky to have Azuma-san by your side, she's truly worthy of being the SHSL Bodyguard, more than an assassin. I wish to both of you a lot of happiness together."

Yuri really seemed honest with what she had admitted, and maybe a little bit envious and regretful. Those must be the true words and feelings of a woman on her deathbed.

"I won't keep you any longer, thank you for not giving up on finding me, and allowing me to have some hope until the end. And there's someone else that I need to meet before passing away, which I feel is going to happen soon." the chairwoman said. "Farewell, Haru-san, Azuma-san. Tell Sumireko-san that I wish her luck in her life, to accomplish her dream, and tell Kenmochi-san…that she's forgiven."

Haru showed a slightly smile that was filled with sadness.

"Goodbye, Yuri-san." Haru simply said, as she exited the room with Tokaku, before glancing one more time at the dying chairwoman.

* * *

"Oh, you were already there?" Haru said.

Nio raised her head and saw that Haru and Tokaku had exited the hospital room.

"It's been a while since I arrived." the blonde girl replied.

"Then why did you stay outside the room?" Tokaku asked.

Nio hesitated for few seconds before answering.

"Because…I'm not sure if it's a good thing if I meet with her. After all the failures I've done, I don't deserve to show myself in front of her. I'm unworthy of my queen, she probably doesn't even want to see a trash like me…"

To her surprise, Haru suddenly grabbed both of her shoulder and looked at her in the eyes with a serious expression.

"You can't say that! Yuri-san…what kept her alive for so long was the hope of meeting us again. She wants to see you, you're important to her, so don't hesitate and go see her!"

The blonde girl was surprised to see Haru acting that way. She wasn't her usual cheerful self, she even looked matured and adult-like. Nio found it weird to see Haru like that, she was too used to see her being kind of childish.

"But…if I walk in looking so unsightly, she'll get mad for sure."

"Nio, I'm sure she doesn't mind the way you're dressed right now." Haru replied.

"…you don't know like I do. But I guess you're right, I should go see her. Geez, you're really good with convincing people to do what you want. Tokaku-san must be proud to have you as her queen."

"Let me out of the conversation…and since when I allowed you to call me by my first name?"

"Hey, I put san, so stop complaining!"

"I'm not trying to convince you to do what I want. I want to help you taking the right decision, which is to do what you want. What do you want, Nio? Do you really want to miss what could be your last chance to be reunited with Yuri-san? Wasn't finding her your hope? You're letting your fear get in the way of what you truly want, this is why I must insist to help you realise it and take the good decision."

Nio sighed, before showing her usual grin.

"Just like I said, you're good with words, Haru-chan. Very well, I'll listen to my true desire. I want to see Yuri-san more than anything. So despite my fear, I'll go see her. Thanks for reminding me what I truly want, and see you later!"

"Please don't bother. Go away after."

"Tokaku!"

Nio left them and finally entered the hospital room. When she discovered her dear queen lying on the bed with such an ill-look, she felt her heart breaking. Yuri really looked like she was at death's door.

"Yuri-san…?" Nio called her shyly.

The chairwoman raised her head, and a kind smile appeared on her lips.

"Nio-san….you looked terrible."

"Ah…you too. That gives us something in common." the blonde girl replied. "At least you don't have your crop…right?"

"No, don't worry. Not that I want to use it anyway." Yuri said with an amused look. "It's been a while. Don't stay there, come closer."

Nio immediately obeyed and approached the bed. She then sat on the chair near it.

"How…how are you doing?"

"Not really good. I'm afraid that I'm in a terrible state. Even the doctors don't understand how I could be still alive." the chairwoman replied.

"That's because…you're the true queen. There's no way you would die so easily!...don't you?"

Yuri remained silent for a moment, like she was hesitating to answer, which greatly worried Nio.

"I…I might have survived for more than I should, but unfortunately, I can't keep doing like that. I probably don't have much left to live."

"No…no it can't be true! You can't die! You're the true queen, my queen! You were born to be a queen, I can't believe you can die like that! Please, tell me that it isn't true, that you can still be save…!" Nio begged.

"I'm sorry, but this is the truth. I'm not even sure that I'll make it out until tomorrow. This is why I'm so glad that you finally found me. I was afraid to die without seeing you one last time."

Tears began to roll on Nio's cheeks as despair began to overtake her. Yuri stretched out her arm and softly touched Nio's cheek, wiping her tears.

"Don't cry. I'm not feeling bad, I'm at peace with myself now. I'm ready to accept my fate, to die. All this time I was fighting death, because I wanted to see you again. Not only Haru-san, but you too. This is what helps me surviving so long, the hope of seeing you again. You were my hope too Nio-san. Haru-san may be my heir, my blood relative, but I also consider you as part of my family. This is why I'll entrust you an important mission, because you're the only one I can fully trust. Haru-san has a destiny to accomplish, she's the hope of my clan. Everything things that was mine is hers now, but I can know for sure if she'll take her responsibilities and rebuilt our clan. This is why I need you to make sure she'll become my successor, for the sake of the clan. I entrust you my legacy, Nio-san."

Yuri delicately put her hand behind Nio's head and approached her from hers, to give her a soft kiss on the forehead, which made the blonde girl blushed a little.

"I…are you sure? After all the mistakes I've done…?"

"Don't worry, I'm not better than you in this situation. We both got fooled and manipulated by Enoshima Junko, so I can't blame you for the mistakes you done since I did the same. "

"But…Haru-chan…she can't be as good as you, I still haven't accept her as your successor, I…"

Suddenly, Yuri showed a pained expression. She then coughed and blood began to flow from her mouth, much to Nio's panic.

"Meichi!" Nio exclaimed.

The chairwoman continued to cough for few seconds, before she finally stopped. Her mouth was all bloody, as well as her chin. She looked at Nio with a sadden expression.

"I…I'm sorry…that you have to witness such a thing. I would have to prefer…to spare you seeing my die."

"No! It can't be happening, you can't die…Please, don't die! Don't leave me alone! I don't want to live in a world without you by my side!"

Yuri suddenly hugged her softly.

"Don't worry, you won't be alone. You have to keep living and honor my legacy. I don't ask this as your queen, with my ability. I ask you this as a favor, because we're family, and because…I've faith in you. Thanks to you, I can die in hope, because I know that everything that I hold dear is in good hands. Goodbye Nio, I wish you to find hope again and to be happy."

Nio hold her tightly, like she wanted to prevent her to go away somehow. She then began to cry while burying her head in her chest, allowing her to hear Yuri's heartbeat.

"I…I would do anything for you, you can trust me. Because you're my queen, because I belong to you, and because…I love you!"

As she said those words, Nio noticed with horror that she couldn't hear the chairwoman's heart anymore. Her body even felt limp in her arms. With panic, Nio broke the hug and lay Yuri on the bed, to discover with sadness that she wasn't breathing anymore. She was dead. But despite the blood and the fact that it must have been painful, Yuri had a smile on her face. Her eyes were closed and she had a blissful expression, like she died in peace.

Nio laid her head on Yuri's chest and continued to cry, mourning the death of the woman who had been the most important person in her life.

* * *

Sumireko was sitting on a chair, in front of Shiena's laptop. Avatar was on the screen, with its Suzu's appearance. It seems to be the AI preferred person to impersonate. According to Avatar, since she was the smartest of its coded personas, she was the one with whom it could communicate the best with others.

"What would you like to see, Hanabusa-san?" Suzu-Avatar asked. "A specific moment of the killing game maybe?"

"You know, if you are truly a good imitation as you claim to be, then you should have the same skills as Shuto-san right now. I'm sure she would have perfectly known what I want from you."

The AI showed a cunning smile that really looked like those Suzu usually had.

"Very well. Even if it would be a lie, I know that if I was the real Suzu and still be alive, I would have probably asked the same about Kouko-chan. I guess that if you know it's a lie and only use up to bring yourself some comfort and it help you move on, it should be fine."

Suddenly, Avatar changed its persona. The figure of a silver haired girl with purple eyes appeared on the screen and Sumireko felt some pain in her heart.

"Banba-san…" she mumbled with sadness.

"Ah, h-hi, Hanabusa-san…" the Mahiru-Avatar greeted shyly.

"You…you really look like her. I know that you aren't her, that she's dead, but please just for once, let's pretend that you are the real Banba-san." Sumireko pleaded.

The AI remained quiet for a moment, before a soft smile appeared on its lips.

"But Hanabusa-san, I'm the real one."

"Yes, yes you are! Banba-san, I'm…I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you. You died because I wasn't enough strong. I didn't even remember that we were dating until you died."

"Don't worry, Hanabusa-san. I'm not mad at you. It's not your fault."

"But…"

Before Sumireko could finish her sentence, Avatar suddenly began to glitch and switched persona.

"What are ya doin' Sumi!? It ain't like you to act so whiny and weak."

"Shinya-san…you can't say that. I know how you cared about Mahiru-san, you cannot be not mad at me to have let her die!"

"Yo, protecting Mahiru wasn't your job, it was mine. You can't blame yourself forever for somethin' that wasn't your fault. You ain't the one who killed her. So stop acting like that, it ain't worthy of the so called queen you always claim to be!"

Somehow, the Shinya-Avatar's harsh words helped Sumireko. Suddenly, the AI took back its Mahiru's persona.

"Hanabusa-san, Shinya is right. Neither of us is mad at you, so please, don't feel bad anymore. I…we don't like seeing you in pain."

The cyborg suddenly took out something from her pocket and showed it to the AI.

"This…I made it for you. It made you happy, right? I'm sorry if it is broken. Ichinose-san fixed it, but it is still visible that it had been broken once…" Sumireko said about the strap.

"It's…the relic you gave me. Yes, I was really happy when you gave it to me. Even if I tried to…make it holy. But now it's a holy relic. Because…it belonged to me and…I died, which means that I made it holy. As long as you keep the relic with you, I'll always be in your heart. Both me and Shinya will live inside of your heart."

Avatar suddenly split in two, showing the figure of the two Banbas at once.

"Hanabusa-san, it's time for you to forgive yourself and move on. You have a dream, you wanted to open your own tea shop. After all, you were supposed to become the SHSL Tea Sommelier. It's not too late for you to make your dream come true." the Avatar-Mahiru said with a kind smile.

"Yeah, ya can't continue to mope all your life! I know that you're strong enough to overcome any despair. So prove it and act like the queen ya are! That's the Sumi I like and enjoyed to fight." the Avatar-Shinya said with a wide grin.

Tears suddenly roll on Sumireko's cheeks.

"Yes, you are right. Mahiru-san, Shinya-san, thank you for everything. I…I loved you so much, and I will never forget you. But I need to let it go, to let my despair go away, and be happy again. This is why I need to accept your death. I need to grieve you and move on. Goodbye Banba-san, I will always love you."

"We loved you too." The two Banbas said together.

The AI glitches again and took back its preferred form.

"Was it enough?" the Suzu-Avatar asked.

"Yes…thank you. It really was what I need to move on."

Sumireko suddenly stood up and turned back.

"You really despise me don't you, or rather, the person I'm impersonating." the AI said.

"No, that is not the case. Before the Tragedy, I was in fact getting quite along with Shuto-san. She was such a cultured girl, it was pleasant to talk with her. But I must admit that I disliked her during the killing game, or rather, my amnesiac self hated her. I guess that as opponents, we could not get along. It must be because both of us were competitive person too eager to win."

"You must be right. But I know for sure that Suzu never actually hated you, or anyone else. She truly wanted to save everyone, to honor Kouko-chan's request. Even you."

"I must admit that I am ashamed to only realise it now. She died for us, she accepted to be framed in order to protect us. Shuto-san…was truly an amazing person. I regret to not have realised it sooner during the killing game and to have let my pride made me antagonize her. Anyway, I should go, there is someone I need to go keep an eye on. Thank you again for your help."

"You're welcome. Feel free to talk to me anytime you want."

Sumireko headed towards the exit, while looking at the strap. She slightly smiled when she remembered that thanks to the strap, the girl she loved will always be in her heart.

* * *

Shiena was looking at the horizon, near the side of the boat she was in. She then looked at the ocean, hesitating a little bit to jump in. But she knew that if she tried to kill herself, Sumireko would most likely save her, and then broke her other hand. As long as the cyborg was keeping an eye on her, she wasn't allowed to die.

"What are you doing there? Planning to jump perhaps? Because if you actually try to do so, I will break one of your legs to keep you from trying again."

The hacker sighed. She then turned back to face Sumireko. The cyborg, just like her, was back to wearing her regular school uniform. She was even wearing cybernetic limbs that looked like real arms and legs. On her robotic eyes looked artificial, so she was wearing sunglasses to hide them. Shiena was now wearing an eye patch to hide her missing eye and a bandage on her cheek to cover her scar, and a plaster around her broken hand.

"It wasn't my intention. I was just gazing at the ocean, that's all."

"Without your glasses? I do not think you can see a lot without them."

"Just so you know, wearing glasses with an eye-patch isn't comfortable at all. I'm wearing a contact lens."

"Good. Because I do not particularly want to break any other of your bones, but it if what it takes to keep you from committing suicide, I will do it."

"Yeah yeah, I know."

Sumireko suddenly went to join her.

"Look, I am not doing this out of revenge, far from it. I am doing this because I do not want you to die. You and I, we are in the same boat…"

"I can see that."

"I mean, figuratively. We both fell into despair, and we both need to recover from it, as respect for our classmates who died. This is the responsible thing to do. Killing yourself would only disrespect them and make you a coward. I think if we both support each other, we will have more chances to overcome the despair we went through."

"Breaking my bones isn't really a positive way to show your support."

"Then what should I do? Offer you tea? Because I do not have a lot of option for keeping you from killing yourself."

Shiena knew that killing herself wasn't the best option. It was the easy one though, but not the best.

"I don't think you understand the extent of the despair I feel, Hanabusa-san. I caused the death of almost the entire students from a school, as well as a lot of people I cared about like my classmate and my group, and helped Enoshima destroying the world. The number of death I caused is countless. I know that I was brainwashed when I did those things, but still, I remember it as if they were my own actions. To live with such a burden, I don't think you understand how painful it is."

"You think so? I may not have caused as many deaths as you, but unlike you, I never was brainwashed. All the things I have committed were from my free will. Sure, I did not control my action when I was in the Elimination Mode, but still, I voluntarily chose to become a weapon meant to kill. I knew that I would cause deaths, and maybe the one of innocent people. Despite that, I chose to become a weapon. I was so despairful that I did not care about it, all I wanted was to get revenge on the SHSL Despair. And I fully regret it. So yes, I am far from, having caused the same amount of deaths as you, but do not dare to say that I do not understand the pain of living with the burden of despair."

Shiena suddenly felt guiltiness when she remembered that it was because of her if Sumireko became a weapon, since she was the one who sent her to Towa City, or more specifically, to Towa Monaca.

"You know, technically I chose to be brainwashed. I let Enoshima brainwashed me."

"Uh? What do you mean? And how did you become friend with her in the first place?"

"I…I always admired her. I was far from being a fashion lover, but I liked to see her pictures in magazine. I guess that you could say I was a fan of her back then. I found her so beautiful. I met her when we visited Hope's Peak, and went she tried to befriend me and hang out with me, I couldn't resist. I thought she was a nice person, until…she did those things to me. She knew in what kind of situation I was because of Otoya, this is why she did this, to make me suffer…no, to break me, to make me despaired…"

"Wait…what did she do to you? And what Takechi-san had to do with this?"

"Otoya…she was…abusing me. When we were roommates, I discovered that she was a serial killer. But I couldn't denounce her to the police, because she knew about my group. I didn't want to risk her denouncing my group too. I knew that Otoya had a strange obsession about me, some kind of twisted love. I wanted so much to stop her from killing innocent people, so…I agreed to become…her plaything. Well, more like she blackmailed me into letting do as she pleased with my body, otherwise she would kill someone…I couldn't bear the thought of someone being atrocity killed because of me, so I agreed. At least I was able to make her promise to not kill anyone as long as I obeyed her. But the worst part in that was that…I didn't entirely dislike the situation. I think that I even…loved her. She was an awful person who did unforgivable things, I know, but still…she had protected me from bullies and Kirigaya a lot of times, so I couldn't help but appreciated her somehow."

"Protecting you from Kirigaya-san?"

"Yes. Kirigaya ended up thinking that I was somehow trying to steal Namatame from her, so I ended up poisoned couple of times, but not…lethally. She did this to threaten me and be sure that I wouldn't make a move on Namatame. I must admit that I always admire and found her attractive, but never had the intention to try to date her or anything. To be with such a wonderful person, I would have felt too complexed. Anyway, I got kidnapped once by Kirigaya and used by her to test her toxins. If it wasn't for Otoya's intervention, I don't know if I would have survived to be honest. But still, it doesn't excuse the abuses she did to me, but I can't control my feelings towards her. I loved her, and…I missed her."

"I did not know about that. I am sorry for what you went throw. But…how is it related to Enoshima Junko?"

"Enoshima…she was able to feel how much despairful I was, she said that our meeting was a fateful one because of that. She told me that I'd a great potential of despair and that the only thing that kept me from being overtaken by despair was my dream about Hope's Peak, the only hope I had, which was to become the SHSL Dramatist. Her goal was to crush my dream and hope and make me embrace fully despair. So she used the trust I'd in her to break me. She…abused me, the same way Otoya did, because she knew how much it would hurt me. And after that…she forced me to watch a despair video, over and over, to destroy my hope. But…it didn't work. The despair video first didn't work on me. So she told me a lie, about how the SHSL Hope Kamukura Izuru had killed all the student council members and that Hope's Peak was covering up his crime. Well, they did cover it up thinking he was the culprit, but he had been framed by Enoshima. I didn't know that back then and ended up believing her. She managed to make me despise hope, despise Hope's Peak, thus renouncing to my dream and falling into despair. She was…making sure I felt pleasure while watching the video, to make me enjoy the feeling of despair…and it worked. The only reason the brainwashing worked on me was because for a second, I actually hated hope and embrace despair. So yes, I was brainwashed into doing those horrible things, it's still my fault if I became a SHSL Despair! I let Enoshima fooled me, toy with me, I…"

The hacker felt some kind of twisted joy when she recalled all those terrible events. She may not be brainwashed anymore, but her time as the SMSL Despair had left a scar in her mind. Even if she wasn't a SHSL Despair anymore, she was still sometime feeling slight arousal because of despair.

Shiena suddenly felt Sumireko's hand on her shoulder. At first, she was afraid that the cyborg was about to break her bones, but it didn't happen. She then noticed that Hanabusa was now looking at her with a pitied expression.

"I did not know about that. I am truly sorry for the things you went through, it must have been awful to be abused like that. I sincerely wish that you will overcome the despair you are feeling. Like I said, we are in the same boat. Believe it or not, but I want to help you. I think that if we both support each other, we will eventually be able to feel hope again."

The brunette felt some comfort by Sumireko's words. She was still feeling awkward around the cyborg due to all that happened with the killing game, but at least she wasn't antagonizing her anymore. Shiena remembered that before the Tragedy, when they were still classmates , that she actually went quite along with Sumireko. Even if they weren't talking a lot to each other, the hacker had always respected her for standing against bullies and protecting Banba from Otoya.

"Hanabusa-san, Kenmochi-san, we arrived at destination."

Shiena recognized Hajime's voice. Even if she didn't know him since a long time, she was thankful to him for offering her a second chance and making her believe one again in the possibility of feeling hope again. The hacker turned back to see that at the other side of the boat, there was an island.

"Welcome to Jabberwock Island, your new home." Hajime said.

The three of them came out of the boat and went on the dock. Shiena discovered that there was a group of people who seemed to be waiting for them. They were fifteen young people who looked slightly older than her. Suddenly, a white haired boy with a robotic hand approached them, or more specifically, from Hajime.

"Hinata-kun, I'm glad to see you succeeded. Not that I'm surprised, there was no way that the wonderful person you are would have possibly failed." the white haired boy said, before suddenly gazing at her and Sumireko. "And those two are the girls you talked to me about I suppose. My name is Komaeda Nagito, I was known as the SHSL Lucky Student and I was once a SHSL Despair. Nice to meet you."

He looked like a friendly guy but somehow, Shiena felt that something look odd with him. She understood that he must be one of the former Remnants of Despair and that it must be the same for the others too.

"I am Hanabusa Sumireko, formerly known as the SMSL Survivor or Lady and should have been the SHSL Tea Sommelier, now referred as the SHSL Cyborg."

"A-And I'm Kenmochi Shiena, I used to be the SMSL Hacker and almost become the SHSL Dramatist, and I was the…"

"The SMSL Despair." Nagito interrupted her with a gloomy expression.

Suddenly, the white haired boy grabbed the brunette's shoulders and looked at her with an insane look, with a twisted smile on his face.

"You poor thing, despair really left scars on you. But don't worry, you have nothing to fear on this island with us. We can all be friend and have hope together. All you have is to use your despair as a ladder to achieve a greatest hope, let your hope shine brightly and…"

"Komaeda-kun, please don't scare the new one…"

A redhead girl approached them, looking at Nagito with a reprimanded look. Shiena was grateful to her to have stopped him. She was beginning to be seriously freaked out by his behaviour.

"Please, don't mind him. He's not a bad guy, but sometimes he can be quite…annoying. Anyway, my name is Koizumi Mahiru, the former SHSL Photographer. Let's get along!"

"Mahiru…?" Sumireko reacted with surprise.

"Yes…is there a problem?" the redhead asked, confused.

"Hey you! Don't be too familiar with my Koizumi nee-chan!" A blonde girl said with a displeased expression.

"It's ok, Saionji-san." Mahiru replied with an uneasy expression.

"It was not my intention, it is just that…her name reminds me someone I used to know." Sumireko explained.

Suddenly, a boy with sharp teeth and wearing a mechanic suit approached them.

"Wait, did you say you were a cyborg? You don't look like one…" he said with disbelief.

Sumireko lowered her sunglasses to let him saw her robotic eyes.

"My limbs are also cybernetic, even if they look real." Hanabusa added.

Sparkles immediately appeared in the guy's eyes and he smiled like a child who had found the toy he wanted so much.

"Wow, a true cyborg! And your voice sound so…attractive. I was the SHSL Mechanic, so if you have any problem with your body, please don't hesitate to come see me…"

"Souda-kun please, don't creep out girls."

A beautiful blonde haired woman with an elegant appearance approached them. Despite her harsh words, she was smiling kindly. Shiena somehow found that her voice sounded like Sumireko's. She was accompanied by a boy with some kind of emo or gothic look, with hamsters in his scarf.

"Ah, Sonia-san, it's not was you think…" Souda tried to explain.

But the girl completely ignored him and went to Sumireko and Shiena.

"Sorry for his behaviour. My name is Sonia Nevermind, formerly known as the SHSL Princess. Nice to meet you. Hanabusa-san, I think that we could get along pretty well."

The princess stretched out her hand in an inviting way and Sumireko grabbed it. Shiena found that both of them as a similar vide. She then noticed that Souda was looking at both of them with a perverted expression. She really didn't want to know what he was thinking about…or maybe yes?

"We'll continue the introduction inside if you don't mind. I'm sure they must be tired after our long trip." Hajime suddenly said.

Everyone agreed and they began to walk towards the island. Even if some of them looked quite strange, Shiena had the feeling that she could get along with them. After all, just like her, they all had been brainwashed into becoming SHSL Despair. If there were people who could understand her burden, it was them. Shiena slightly smiled, feeling for the first time since a while some hope, thinking that she might have found a place fitted for her that she could call a home.

* * *

Haru looked through the window of the classroom she used to attend when she was a student at Myojo. She was now wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a red tie. She was feeling nostalgic of her time spent in Class Black before the Tragedy. She missed her classmates so much. But now wasn't the time to mourn. She had taken her decision and was about to take her responsibilities.

"Haru."

The red-pinkish haired girl turned back. Tokaku was looked at her from the doorframe. The blue haired girl was wearing a white suit, with a blue shirt and a white tie.

"Or should I call you chairwoman?" Tokaku added.

"You can still call me by my name. I think it will take some time before I get use to people calling me like that."

After Yuri's death, Haru had finally decided to accept her request. From now one, Haru was the new chairwoman of Myojo Academy.

"Are you ready for the reunion with Hope's Peak Academy's headmaster and vice-principal?"

"With Makoto-kun and Kyouko-san? Yes, even if I must admit that I'm kind of nervous. I think Komaru-chan, Fukawa-san, Togami-san, Hagakure-san and Aoi-chan will be there too. And Munakata-san too I believe."

Since both Haru and Naegi are in charge of their respective school, they had decided to continue the alliance between Hope's Peak and Myojo. Haru wasn't sure what would happen with Class Black and the SMSL title, but she intended to talk about it during the meeting. For the moment, the only students she had planned to welcome were Haruki's siblings.

"Sorry I'm late!"

Nio suddenly joined them. The blonde girl was wearing a long-sleeves white shirt with a black tie, skirt and thighs. Her hair were slightly shorter than before, unlike Haru and Tokaku who had now long hair.

"You shouldn't have bothered to come." Tokaku replied coldly.

"But, I'm working here too! Everything that Yuri-san owned now belongs to your girlfriend, which means that I'm now the property of Haru-chan!"

While saying that, Nio suddenly hugged Haru, which seemed to greatly annoyed Tokaku. Following Yuri's death, Nio had decided to stay with Haru and Tokaku, much to the dislike of the blue haired girl. The three of them then began to walk towards the rooftop, headed for the helicopter.

"Oh, I have done as you ask and made some researches to find survivors from your clan. Apparently there's a baby boy born couple of months ago who's a distant relative of you. He's currently in good hands in an orphanage. Unfortunately his parents died, and since he isn't a girl he can't have the Queen Bee ability. But I guess that you still want to retrieve him. After all, he still carried your blood, so the possibility to beget a possible future Queen Bee." Nio said.

"Of course I want to find him! Not only because of the Queen Bee ability, but because…he's part of my family. If his parents are dead, then it's my responsibility as his relative to take care of him." Haru replied.

Nio suddenly gazed at both her and Tokaku with a mischievous grin.

"I knew you would say something like that. It your chance to both of us to be parents. You want to adopt him, right? Well, it would beneficial for both of your respective clan. Either Haru-chan's clan or the Azuma clan. I know the latter isn't into accepting adoptive member unlike my clan, but there's a first time to everything."

Haru blushed a little at the idea of raising a child with Tokaku, like a real family. The blue haired girl on the other hand seemed annoyed with Nio.

"Hashiri, mind your own business."

"No, that's not my name. It's Kuzunoha Nio. I've no reason to hide my true name now."

As they all continued to talk, they finally reached the rooftop.

"Any new from Shiena-chan and Sumireko-san?"

"They now lived on Jabberwock Island with the former Remnants of Despair. They seemed to have adapted well, even if Kenmochi-san's old despairful self sometimes came back. Apparently they had to chain her up multiple times to calm her down." Nio replied.

Haru was glad to hear that they were both doing ok, even if Shiena seemed to have it hard. They all went inside the helicopter and Haru looked behind her to watch Myojo Academy. The school was now hers. She was about to start a new life, with new responsibilities, and maybe even achieve parenthood with the one she loved. She smiled while thinking about that and felt that for the first time since the Tragedy, she could sincerely have hope in life without any fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End.
> 
> Initially Yuri was supposed to be really sick, but I changed it to being poisoned because I found that it would have been to much of a coincidence if she became ill right when Junko want to use Class Black. I really wanted that every difference in the AnR universe was due to the fact of DR interference with the story. Btw, in case you didn't know, Sumireko and Sonia are both voiced by the same person ;)
> 
> I tried to give everyone a proper end, but there's only Tokaku who wasn't PoV in this chapter. I didn't really have any idea for her, I guess it's because she's the only one who didn't really have any despair to overcome. Speaking of despair, let's see the despair-o-meter in order of which survivors is the more despairful.
> 
> #5 Tokaku: Even if she had went through a lot of despair during the killing game (like almost killing Haru), she's currently unable to feel despair due to the Queen Bee ability.
> 
> #4 Haru: Her despair is to be partially responsible of the Clas Black killing game and the death of her classmates, which let's be honest, wasn't really her fault.
> 
> #3 Sumireko: Lost the girl she loved, became a despairful anti-despair weapon, lost part of her humanity and killed innocent people because of the Elimination Mode, and also had a chip in her brain that was feeding on her despair, which made her even more despairful.
> 
> #2 Nio: Failed to protect the school and fulfil Yuri's request, and had to witness the mass suicide of all the students she had under her care. She was then blackmailed into being the ringleader of the killing game while having to pretend to have no memory of her classmates and see her classmates dies helplessly because of Yuri being an hostage, and eventually had to frame and cause the death of Suzu. She then lost Yuri.
> 
> #1 Shiena: Have been bullied, poisoned, and sexually abused by people she trusted and loved, her dream of becoming the SHSL Dramatist had been crushed because of a lie, she had been brainwashed into becoming the SMSL Despair, caused the suicide of almost an entire population of students, made her classmates killd each other, etc...
> 
> So, what are you feeling about the ending? Is it what you hoped for?
> 
> Thank you all for your support for this AU crossover between AnR and DR since the first story Akuma no Ronpa. I'm thinking of maybe doing a prequel to show how Junko managed to take over Myojo, and also continuing the alternate class trials (or even alternate endings), if you are still interested in the univers of this crossover. So once again thanks, have a nice day, and see you soon next year!

**Author's Note:**

> Haru and Tokaku had been arrested by Munakata and brought to Future Foundation! What would happen to them?
> 
> Personally I wouldn't trust Chisa with children, but anyway.
> 
> Sakakura is here to punch once again a MC in the stomach! Komaru watch out, you are next xD. And he's jealous because Haru and Tokaku are openly gay and not him. 
> 
> So what did you think about the first chapter? I just want to warn you that this story won't be as long as the prequel, it will have maximum 10 chapters. So some of the events will be wrap up and they'll have some short timeskip to cover all of the DR's timeline.


End file.
